


Words

by sittinginatree



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Inconsistent Writing, Lots of it probably, M/M, My First Fanfic, Pining, Post-Canon, Romance, adding tags as the story progresses, kise haizaki & kagami are bro goals here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-01-03 23:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21188099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sittinginatree/pseuds/sittinginatree
Summary: "I'm Sorry""Yeah"Some things have changed 10 years later, and some things remained the same.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. First off, this is my first fic, ever. I've never written anything that has a plot and characters in it. So please do not expect much.
> 
> I'm pretty late in the game, although I've always been an Aokaga/KagaAo fan (for 5 years). But I've only had the courage to write something that can contribute to this fandom just now (I wrote this on my phone). I'm not very confident and gets anxious easily. But while listening to Novo Amor's music and reading some quotes from Aya A, I dunno, something just hit me and I started writing. This'll probably consist of a few chapters and I'm planning to get this done before the new year (cross fingers). That's it.
> 
> Your comments and kudos will be highly appreciated. It'll help a lot. Thank you.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and its characters. Just the horrible grammar and bad plot.
> 
> Language: English is not my first language, so please be gentle. ^_^
> 
> Story: Misunderstandings upon misunderstandings and everything that is cliché.

It’s a cold rainy morning – or afternoon, for some people – and there’s a distant sound of car horns honking just outside one cozy apartment in the middle of the city. If it’s any other day, Taiga would’ve been outside, strolling, or doing some grocery shopping, not sitting there; sipping a tepid coffee and watching his companion splay himself out the sofa while lazily flicking the remote control, like he too, is bored out of his wits.

Taiga sighs and dangles his leg carelessly on the armrest of the chair he is currently slumped on; his eyes drifting close as he takes another sip of coffee. He hums softly when the creamy taste hits his tongue and sinks further into the chair; a pang of melancholia gently stinging his heart as he idly thinks about things the taste of that coffee reminds him of.

“...cchi”

He opens his eyes and stares into something and nothing at the same time. Lately, he almost always finds himself recalling _certain things _that should’ve already been forgotten.

“...micchi”

_Remembering._

And he really doesn’t have to wonder why.

He knows why he remembers them now.

Taiga pretends to ignore the pain in his chest.

“Taiga!” A loud - almost screeching - voice jolts him out of his thoughts and causes him to spill his coffee on his shirt.

“Fuck!” He curses and looks at his now soaked shirt, sighing in relief and muttering a “_Thank God the coffee isn’t hot”, _beforelooking up to glare at the culprit who is looking at him with a sheepish grin, _the bastard._

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Taiga hisses at the man (who does not even look the least bit apologetic) still casually lying on the sofa.

Said man just shrugs, or tries to – his head twisted sideways with his cheek pressed on the its surface, making him look almost comical, if not for that stupidly handsome face -, and pouts. “That’s because you weren’t listening to me! I’ve been talking to you and calling your name and you just kept staring into space.”

Taiga just wants to throttle him.

He stands up and grabs the towel he put on the other chair a while ago instead, before taking a seat again; the scowl never leaving his face. “Yeah, but you didn't have to shout my ear off. I was just thinking about some things.” He says while wiping his shirt (not that it’d help with the stain, he realizes) and his stomach.

At his words, the man raises one eyebrow and stares at him, golden eyes probing, making Taiga squirm uncomfortably in his seat.

He tries to look as unaffected as possible. 

He hears a soft sigh, before the man is speaking again. “I was asking you if you were able to take care of everything you needed to take care of, since we only have 3 days left before our flight.”

Taiga mentally thanks him for not prying even though he must already have a decent idea what he’s been thinking about.

Well... he’s considerate that way now that they’re older.

Before, not so much.

He clears his throat and stands up again to bring his mug to the sink. “Yeah.” There're a hundred other things that crosses his mind at the mere thought of the words _only 3 days until_, and Taiga has to remind himself to _stop_; just stop thinking about those things.

But Taiga does remember something important about the topic at hand, so he turns around to look at his (annoying) friend. "I did forget to take care about our transport when we get there though."

He sees the other man roll his eyes with upturned lips. “I already know you’d forget that, so I told the other idiot to take care of it since he’s the one who’s there.”

Taiga raises one eyebrow, reluctantly letting the subtle insult slide, and was about to ask who this _other idiot_ is, when he hears the doorbell ring.

“Speak of the devil. That’s probably him.”

Taiga scrunches his eyebrows, confused at not having any idea who the other man is talking about. He looks at the door, boring holes into it as if trying to see who is on the other side – which is probably making him look like an idiot because he can just open the door and see it for himself, really – when the doorbell rings again, and again, insistently. The man who’s sprawled lazily on the sofa makes no attempt at standing up and just looks at him as if asking what he was waiting for, so Taiga decides to walk to the door – but not before kicking the other man on the foot, which only earns him an irritating giggle; really, _this lazy bastard_ \- and open it (and probably yell at the person to _stop trying to break the damn doorbell!)._

When he swings the door open – a little forcefully, if he may add – with a snarl. He pauses when he was greeted with a familiar smirk. A smirk that once upon a time promised so much cruelty, bitterness, and violence. But now, now it only appears teasing and friendly - Taiga can't find any other word to describe it.

“I brought pizza, bitches!” Is the greeting he receives.

The tall man in front of him is dangling 6 boxes of pizza, looking like he just got out of the pool while being submerged there with all his clothes on (what with him dripping all over), and dark gray hair tied in a sloppy, wet ponytail.

Taiga can’t help the words that form in his head. _Oh, it’s this idiot, huh._

A grin slowly forms on his lip. “Damn bastard! You were pressing the doorbell like you’re trying to break it and now you’re trying to flood the front door?” He says without heat and the smirk on the other’s face just widened, clearly unaffected and amused. “What’re you doing here?” He asks, genuinely curious, because he really does not expect him to be there.

“Why don’ ya let me in first before I freeze to death ‘ere?”

Taiga rolls his eyes and chuckles before opening the door wider so the other can come in. “As if you’d die that easily.”

The other man just laughs and saunters through like he owns the place.

Shaking his head, he closes the door before following the man inside, while said man drops the boxes of pizza unceremoniously on the table, muttering something about _damn rain_ before shrugging his wet coat off. He does not even finish taking the coat off of himself when a towel goes flying to his face out of nowhere.

“Fuck! Ryouta, ya jerkface! At least hand it over normally.”

_Ryouta_ just rolls his eyes and proceeds to slump on the sofa again.

Taiga watches them both, amused, while he opens one box of pizza and digging in without inviting the other two.

“So?” he asks after his unexpected guest managed to dry himself off, his mouth stuffed with his sixth slice of pizza, “what’re you doing here? I thought you were in Japan.” He walks over to Ryouta and hands him the other box.

“I was.” The other man answers, while he too, is starting to stuff his mouth with a slice and helping himself to a hot coffee. “But Ryouta’s slaving me around. Told me to help ya guys take care o’ some things. Told me to just come ‘ere too, to help ya with yer luggage or whatnots. ” He says with a hint of boredom and teasing, as he always does whenever he wants to irk either of the other two men. It’s a wonder why all three of them haven’t engaged in a wrestling match yet eversince they’ve started calling each other friends, given their constant bickering and teasing.

“Hey! I didn’t order you to do anything.” Ryouta denies - while throwing what seems to be something from the pizza he’s eating - at the other man who swiftly dodges while smirking, and it makes Taiga think that it makes him look more like a 5-year-old boy rather than a 27-year old man. “I asked you if you weren’t busy and if you can come here to help us.”

“Same difference.” The gray-haired man answers and throws something back to Ryouta. That something – which looked like a mushroom – ends up on the sofa when Ryouta dodges and it makes Taiga's nose scrunch in mild irritation.

“Hey!” Taiga snaps at both of them. “Will you both stop wasting food and thrashing the place? You’re acting like children. Kami-sama, why I’m friends with you guys, I can never understand.” He rubs his palm on his face in exasperation.

“Ouch, Kagamicchi~ that’s mean of you to say~” Ryouta says with his hand on his chest as if to convince Taiga that he was hurt by his careless words – if only his tone is convincing.

Taiga just rolls his eyes at the obviously fake dramatic display. “Shut it, Ryouta.”

“Ryouta started it.”

Taiga glares at both of them before sighing. "You guys are such a handful."

A snicker is Ryouta's response followed by a teasing _'But you luuuurrrvvv us nonetheless, right Kagamicchi~?'_

“Yeah, yeah.” He says while rolling his eyes before he turns to his gray-haired friend again. “So what, you came here from Japan and then you’ll come home with us 3 days from now?

The other shrugs and finally sits on the other available dining chair. “Sounds about right.”

His eyebrow arches at the response. “Well, that’s proof right there that you’re more of an idiot than me. Why didn’t you just wait there? You’re just going to be useless even if you come here. It’s not like we’re bringing 20 yrs worth of luggage with us.”

“Tell that to Ryouta. I already told ya, I only came here because he asked me to.”

Ryouta is about to retort to that, given the expression he was wearing, but Taiga beat him to it. “Even so, just because Ryouta orde- er, asked you to, you wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t want to. It’s not like you can’t refuse. Unless- “ he pauses when something clicks in his mind and gives the man a suspicious look, “are you running away from someone again?” He asks and given the sputtering he got as a response from the grayhead, he most likely hit the nail on the head. He narrows his eyes at him.

“I have no idea what yer talking about.” The man denies, but Ryouta is already standing up from the sofa he was lazing on, and trots over to the dining table to also glare at him.

“You are, aren’t you?” This time, it’s Ryouta who asks. “Shougo, what did you do this time?” There was a hint of suspicion and worry in his voice.

Shougo just stuffs his mouth with some more pizza and shrugs like he doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but he’s slowly shrinking down the sofa, the action saying otherwise. “Nothing!” He denies again. “You guys are just being paranoid. I came here to help ya, that’s all.”

They both glare at the other man; Ryouta with his hands akimbo, like he is ready to give a hundred years worth of scolding, and Taiga with his brows arched so high up his forehead it might as well disappear into his head. It doesn’t take long for the man in front of them to break.

“Alright, alright, fine.” He finally says after a few tense minutes of staring down, and raises his hands in resignation. “Some girl I hooked up with a week ago has been coming to my apartment these past few days, and I thought Ryouta asking me to be here was an opportunity to escape from her uh, persistent visits.”

“Holy fuck, Shougo! How many times have we told you to stop picking up some random girls to play with? You’re bound to either get some weird diseases one day, or get cursed!” Taiga’s tone is almost admonishing, but Shougo can hear the concern in his voice, which is why he does not deflate.

“So what?” It's Ryouta who spoke after. “She’s been stalking you?”

The gray-haired man shakes his head and scratches his chin thoughtfully at the question before he responds with uncertainty. “No, er, I guess not? She’s just been really persistent to get me into another date.” When both Ryouta and Taiga gives him an unimpressed look, Shougo just sighs again. “Look, don’t worry about it. I’ve already told her it was just a one-time thing. She’ll probably give up once she realizes I’ve been away for a while.”

“Really, Shougo.” Taiga pinches the bridge of his nose, as if doing so would ease the discomfort in his head that is now slowly rising to a full-blown headache. “You haven’t learned your lesson even after being almost stabbed by a woman you hit on! You’re just as frivolous as Ryouta.”

A scoff. "I'm a hundred times better than Ryouta."

“Hey!” Ryouta pouts his lips indignantly and crosses his arms above his chest, huffing. “I don’t sleep around with women left and right!” And then he turns towards Shougo. “And no, I'm the one who's a hundred times better than you!"

Taiga just shakes his head while Shougo snorts, earning him another glare from the blonde. “Yeah, but you flirt with them nonstop and then leaves them hanging. If you ask me, that’s almost as bad as sleeping around.”

Nobody responds to that so Taiga tilts his head to look at the other two and sees them engage in a glaring contest. He chuckles at the scene in front of him and remembers, again, how they all were a decade ago; rivals, or even enemies, and sometimes not just in basketball; but here they are now, eating pizza together and bantering about things only friends banter about. If someone told him 10 years ago that these two would become one of the most important people in his life, he’d probably flip that someone ten times over for telling him nonsense. But as it turns out, time not only changes people, it apparently also binds idiots together, and sometimes, sometimes time makes enemies the best of friends.

He wonders, absently, if there are some things that even time cannot change.

_There are._

(Really, who needs a traitor when you have your own mind (and heart) to always betray you?)

Taiga sighs and decides to let the other two be, ignoring - once again - that painful twinge in his heart.

* * *

  


It’s a day before their flight, with Taiga scampering about in the kitchen, while Ryouta and Shougo are leisurely enjoying the food he keeps putting on the table, when Shougo asks him a question.

“Have you told anyone from over there yet that yer coming back?”

He stills; a spatula in his hand and the other holding the pan’s handle. A few seconds tick by and Taiga can hear chewing and sipping, his own heartbeat getting louder and louder, before he opens his mouth. “Not yet.”

There is silence for a minute or two, before Shougo speaks again. “Not even that friend o’ yers, ya know, the one with that light blue hair?”

The word that first registers in his mind is the word _blue_ and Taiga flinches, but after the whole question sinks in, he breathes, slowly, before he shrugs. “No.” He pauses before he adds. “I’ll call Kuroko when I arrive in Japan, or after I’ve settled down, and then probably send Midorima an e-mail.”

He puts the remaining fried eggs on the plate and walks over to the other two to sit across the dining table: he takes a slice of bread to fill with the eggs and bacon.

Shougo hums in response, while Ryouta pretends like he’s watching the television, when Taiga knows he’s actually listening in on the conversation.

Taiga also pretends _again_ \- even to himself - that there isn't a twinge of something painful in his chest, or a sudden bitter taste coating his tongue.

“What about that brother of yers?” Shougo asks again.

“I’ll give him a call too.” He answers, and he notices that his hands are sweating. He knows he’s bracing himself for a question his gray-haired friend may or may not ask. His stomach is starting to churn.

His pretension is short-lived.

Shougo hums again and takes a sip of coffee. “Then what about Daiki? Are ya gonna call him too?”

Ryouta immediately turns his head towards Shougo at the question, his eyes looking like he wants to reprimand him - and given the grunt that Shougo emitted, Ryouta probably kicked his foot under the table, while Taiga, Taiga feels like something just gripped his heart forcefully. There’s a ringing in his ears brought by a distant memory he once thought he’d already forgotten all those years ago; the words he’d buried for a few years, only to be dug up by words that were much more haunting.

_'I’m sorry.'_

_'Yeah.'_

'_Do you even love me?'_

_'I do!'_

_'You don't love me enough'_

_'It's your fault'_

_'I know you're still in love with someone else'_

_'You were being used'_

_'I'm sorry'_

_'You're such a fucking loser'_

'_Aominechii is getting married'_

Too many words. They drown him, choke him even after time has passed. He pretends he'd forgotten, but they all _still_ ring in his ears. The words. They broke him in so many different ways. And even though he is not so broken anymore, he still remembers the words, and the emotions they caused him. He pretends he doesn't anymore, but he's never really been good at pretending. (_That's more Ryouta's expertise.)_

He shrugs his shoulders carelessly, wanting to appear nonchalant, to mask the growing uneasiness in his very being. He knows he’s not being successful. “Probably. I’m not sure yet.”

The two men look at him then, but he does not want to see the expressions on their faces, so he abruptly stands up, and bangs his right knee on the table, hard, making him hiss in pain. “Ow, fuck! Shit that hurts!” A few more colourful words come out of his mouth (because damn does it hurt, _fuck_) while he’s clutching his knee, before he notices the two men rushing over to him with very visible worry on their faces.

Ryouta is the first to touch him, his white hand cautiously hovering above Taiga’s hands that were pressed to his knee. “Shit, Taiga, are you okay?” There’s panic in his voice and Taiga feels a little worse.

Shougo, on the other hand, just presses Taiga’s shoulders, hard, before easing it to gentle pats. Taiga doesn’t have to look at him to see the worry on his face because there’s a slight tremble in the hand that’s patting him.

Taiga exhales shakily while rubbing his knees, it doesn’t hurt much anymore, but Ryouta’s fussing makes Taiga feel like it hurts more than it should.

“I’m fine.” He finally says, after Ryouta’s marathon of - _Are you okay? Does it hurt too much? Should we call a Doctor or something?_ – and Shougo’s apologetic and concerned squeezes on his shoulders after asking if he’s okay. “I’m fine Ryouta, sheesh.” He repeats, even though he feels far from it. He’s never going to get used to this, and it’s not the knee that hurts anymore, he realizes. It runs deeper than that; he feels like he hurts all over. He does not feel fine at all with Ryouta panicking over something that is supposed to be so trivial had it happened all those years ago, or to someone else. He feels worse with Shougo’s concerned shoulder squeezes.

But Taiga _wants_ to be fine. He (desperately) wants to be fine and wants them to know he is, because they deserve to know so. Because they’ve always been there even when Taiga’s world crumbled and turned to nothing but ashes. Because they stayed when he pushed and pushed. Because they worried, and fussed over, and helped Taiga build his world again, slowly, excruciatingly, and not without constant irritation.

So, Taiga wants to be fine - not just for them but for himself too because he knows he's been through enough. He tries to be, despite (still) failing most of the time, he still tries to be fine, or hopes to be, and sometimes he can't help but think that maybe that's why people say they're okay; it's not because they truly are, but because they hope (or remind themselves) that they will be.

So he heaves a sigh (of desperation and hope), and with the words all those years ago still ringing in his ears, that slight sting in his knee, and that painful squeeze in his heart, he swallows the bitter taste in his mouth to tell them one more time, “I’m fine.”

He promises to himself that the next time he says it, it will be true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying. I really am, with this being my first fanfic and all. But, I'm not really good at this. Sorry. Still I hope you enjoy or appreciate this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Kuroko no Basuke, just the horrible grammar and bad plot.
> 
> Language: English isn't my first language so I apologize for the errors and mistakes, and for my lack of vocabulary.
> 
> Your comments and kudos are highly appreciated. They help spur me on. Thank you.

Taiga has nightmares most of the time; he didn't talk about it to other people - he still doesn't. And as nightmares generally are, they always leave an unpleasant feeling; a heaving chest, a sweaty forehead, a shaky breath, and trembling hands. But, Taiga's nightmares _used to_ be about dogs and ghosts when he was younger. They scared him - those nightmares about furry demonic things chasing him, or those pale, pale hands and hollow eyes seeming to reach out for him out of nowhere - all those years ago; he'd find himself waking up feeling like he's out of breath, and his chest thumping wildly.

Taiga thought nothing can ever be as worse as those nightmares, but turns out he was wrong.

There can be worse.

_Much, much worse._  
  
The nightmares he has now, they do not scare him.

They _hurt_ him.

He still wakes up with his chest heaving, his forehead sweating, but there's a feeling that's much more different than just being unpleasant, unlike all those nightmares he frequently had when he was younger. He aches; he wakes up in the middle of the night with a hollow feeling and pain; _so much pain_. It crawls its way all the way from his chest to the tips of his hair and toes; and sometimes it lingers on his knee a little longer, and on that one visible silvery line just an inch or two above his right eyebrow. And everytime he has these nightmares that cause him pain, he always finds himself unlocking his phone, with his fingers hovering over that one number that he's not really sure what he wants to do with.

(Or he does, but everytime he stares at the number, he remembers _those words_, so he always stops himself, because it's a whole different nightmare for Taiga. He has them even when he's awake.)  
  
And like any other night - at least for the past few years now; where he wakes up like he'd just been kicked all over - he lets go of the phone and breathes, and breathes, and _breathes_, like he's exhaling all the pain out and inhaling something that comforts him. He's not comforted - not in the least, no - but at least he's able to calm himself down by doing so - enough to not make any impulsive decisions. It doesn't take away the pain, no, the pain has probably etched itself so deep inside him it can never be removed. It's now a part of him and his nightmares. And then come morning, he'd receive a message from Ryouta (whenever they're not together) with almost always the same words. _Good morning Kagamicchi~ Did you sleep alright?_, is what the messages usually read, because Ryouta _knows_, he knows - and so does Shougo, but he does not like sending messages so he only asks when he visits or he calls sometimes to let Taiga know he's there and he cares - , eventhough Taiga had not and does not talk about it; and then Taiga will always reply with a curt '_yeah_'; but they all know it's a lie.  
  
His day would then resume as usual, the nightmares temporarily forgotten, until the evening comes, and when he closes his eyes, they come again, without so much as a knock, or a greeting, clawing their way - painfully, harshly - to Taiga's very being. To his very heart and soul, and rips him apart all over again.

* * *

It's been 6 months now since he's been back in Japan. He has been (thankfully) so busy for that whole 6 months that he had had no time to spare thinking about other things not directly related to whatever he was taking care of. First, there were mountains of papers to sort and sign.

Maybe, he idly thinks, maybe his father was right when he told him a year ago that going back to Japan would do him good. He's certainly doing a little better the past few months. He's feeling a little better too. Only a little, but Shougo seems to think that it's progress, given the expressions of relief on his face whenever he visits Taiga every once in a while (mostly to mooch off of him).

He stares at the sign reflected above a newly renovated establishment. It doesn't look too fancy, but it looks just right. It looks like perfect to Taiga.

There's a smile on his lips as he pushes the door open and surveys the tables and chairs neatly arranged inside. It looks simple, and spacious enough. The hue of the walls reminds him so much of the aparment he shared with Ryouta in LA for so many years. It reminds him of _home_. There's something comfortable that seems to envelop the place, and Taiga inhales the scent of a new beginning. He feels like all those months of restless nights and stressful days (and Ryouta and Shougo's constant (annoying) bickering) were worth it.

The first few months after he came back was a struggle. Ryouta kept complaining about not having enough time to shop for the necessary equipments and furnitures. Shougo, on the other hand, kept reminding them that he has a job of his own to take care of and they can't just keep dragging him around everywhere to help them (they still kept dragging him around though, just to piss him off).

A month later, when Ryouta's paid leave was up and he had to go back to LA, Taiga was stuck doing most of the work alone (since Shougo does have a job that he has to be present for). Supervising the renovation took most of his time, and the amount of paperwork gave him a throbbing head and a sour mood on most days.

It took 4 months for things to finally settle down a little, and for the renovation to finally finish; it took another 2 months to hire the help he’ll need to run the place properly (Shougo joked about applying but Taiga just stepped on his foot).

And so there he is, 6 months later, staring at walls, and chairs, and tables that scream so much of a new dream. A _different_ dream. And Taiga feels like it isn’t such a bad thing.

After one last look, he decides to lock up and head home, slinging his sports bag on his shoulder.

The condo his father bought for him - because the man insisted and Taiga had no other choice but to reluctantly relent - is only a 15-minute walk from the soon-to-be-opened establishment, so he figures he does not really need to use his car. He figures he can use the walk to and fro too, as a sort of exercise. Kami knows he hasn’t had time for that as of late because his schedule’s already packed enough as it is.

The reason, however, why he decides to walk home on that particular day, is because there's an old street court just along the way. He's seen it a few times whenever he walks home, and after mulling over it for some time, he decides to use it for its intended purpose.

It doesn't mean he does not hesitate, however, once he's standing there, looking at that very different, yet somehow very familiar place. His fingers tingle, his feet are aching to jump, but he stands there for a while, unmoving; a basket ball already tucked under his arm, and forehead sweating profusely from the heat.

He takes the scene in front of him in, immediately noticing the shrubs growing on the ground and around the court. Nobody has probably been using the place for a while now, he realizes.

It looks forgotten, but one look at the rim, the backboard, the pole, and Taiga knows it’s still sturdy.

Just _forgotten_.

Probably like the sensation of a ball in his hands and the elated feeling of playing with all his heart; and now he was there to try and remember it all. He still hesitates, like he’s not sure whether it’s a good idea to go through with what he thought was a good plan just that morning.

Taiga heaves a deep breath. He’s already there, so he might as well just get on with it.

He dribbles the ball experimentally before he started shooting from where he stood. The ball made a _whooshing_ sound as it swiftly went through the hoop.

He exhales.

It seems his body still remembers, even when his heart has forgotten (not really) about it for two years, and he isn’t sure if that’s a good thing, or if that’s good for now.

He starts stretching his arms, then his legs, and moves to massage his knees before he runs over to where the ball is and goes back to the other end. Slowly dribbling the ball, he imagines having an opponent, and moves fast, moving from side to side, before jumping as high as he could and successfully dunking the ball and landing on his feet with a loud _thud_.

And then, Taiga _waits_. He waits for the pain to come.

It doesn’t. He knows it won’t.

He’s known for almost a year now.

There’s a slight feeling of discomfort, but no pain; and Taiga breathes, long and uncertain.

He shakes his leg, like he wants to shake the apprehension and the fear – or a different kind of pain - inside him, before picking up the ball once more.

Because he knows he has to continue. He has to start again.

And so Taiga starts dribbling the ball, one more time. This time, he does it with more ease, and more determination.

* * *

“Have you told Kurokocchi yet?”

“Not yet.”

It’s the second week after opening the restaurant when Ryouta calls to ask how things are with the ‘_business and such’._

It’s a day off, so Taiga’s only plan is to sleep and eat; at least that’s what he initially planned. But Ryouta, apparently, has another plan. It involves calling him, and chattering about inane things.

He’s not complaining though, since he’s bored to death. And he does miss talking to the (idiotic) blonde (not that he’d ever admit that, _no fucking way_; over his dead muscular body).

“When are you going to tell him?”

He hums thoughtfully before answering. “Probably later. It’s because I’ve been so busy that I keep forgetting.”

There’s shuffling in the background and Ryouta mumbling something, probably to someone he’s with. “Right. That’s probably a good idea before a decade passes by.” He hears the blonde chuckle.

“Shut up, Ryouta. You’re not the one who has to manage that place for 16 hours a day. I barely even have time to sleep, let alone call people up.” He rolls over his bed to go to the kitchen and look for something to fill his stomach with.

There’s more shuffling in the background before he hears Ryouta sigh. “I told you to hire a manager. It’s because you’re so dam stubborn Kagamicchi.”

“Stop calling me that.” He grumbles, taking one large slice of cake from the bridge.

“You’re already in Japan, so technically, I’m now allowed to.”

“Technically, you’re not, as long as I say no.”

He takes a huge bite of the sweet thing, before sauntering over to the sofa and flopping down.

“Whatever, stop diverting the conversation. Why haven’t you hired a manager yet.”

He sighs, a deep, disgruntled sigh. “I told you I’ve been busy.”

Ryouta just snorts at that, and really, Taiga would’ve already decked him had they been in the same room.

“Then ask Shougo for help.”

“That idiot?” He scoffs. “He’s been MIA for two weeks now. Probably hiding somewhere again from some woman he’s tricked into sleeping with him.”

“Again?!” There’s clearly a tone of disbelief there, and Taiga can’t help but roll his eyes.

“As if that’s something new.”

Ryouta’s answer to that is silence, and it continues for more than a minute that Taiga almost thought the call got cut off. He frowns and checks his phone; the call is still connected.

He hears the man on the other end sigh before he’s speaking again “You should call Kurokocchi, and maybe meet with him in person, you know, to catch up on some things. Maybe you can also meet with some of your previous teammates from Seirin and-“

“Ryouta.” He cuts off. He knows where this is going; knows why Ryouta is suggesting it. He can just picture the blonde biting his nail – like he always does whenever he’s worried. “You don’t have to worry. As I said, I’ve been too busy to really have time to think about other things.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line again, and it makes Taiga sigh, resigned. “Alright, I’ll be sure to give Kuroko a call later. I think it’s time for me to tell him I’m back anyway.”

He hears a sigh of relief. “Right, okay.” Ryouta says it like he’s telling it to himself. “Okay.”

“Okay.” He answers, before he sighs again. There’s warmth in his heart when he thinks about how much Ryouta worries for him (he’s sure Shougo does too, he just shows it differently).

The friendship he has with the blonde is something he really never expected. Hell, he used to hate the giggles, and the sunshine attitude.

Taiga thinks it’s funny how he once couldn’t stand the presence of the blonde, but now, now Ryouta is one of the most important people in his life.

He chuckles at the thought.

“What’s so funny?” There’s evident confusion and curiousity in Ryouta’s voice when he asks.

“Nothing.” He replies with a hint if amusement. “I have to go get groceries.”

“Okay~. I’ll call again when I’m free.” The chirpiness is back in Ryouta’s voice, and it makes Taiga smile.

“Okay, take care of yourself over there.” He says, because he wants him to know he cares too.

“You too.”

The call ends there and Taiga stands up; stretching his limbs; humming satisfactorily when he hears the soft cracks.

He did not lie about doing grocery shopping. He noticed just a while ago, while he went rummaging in his fridge, that he already ran out of a lot of things. He mentally takes a note of everything he needs to buy before he takes his wallet from his drawer, and steps outside.

He’s walking idly, with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, because he doesn’t feel like hurrying.

In all the 6 months he’s stayed in that neighbourhood, he’s never really had the time to just take a look around the area. It’s a relatively peaceful place. It feels so different from the lively neighbourhood of the place he’s called home in LA. In LA, the place screams of life, and energy. Here, in this place, it whispers of peace, and calmness. It soothes Taiga’s heart somehow. Almost like that place he once called home too, back in high school.

He must’ve walked quite far, or lost in his own thoughts, because he realizes – too late – that he has no idea where he is. And there are no other people around.

_What the fuck?_ He grimaces.

He looks back and tries to squints his eyes in an attempt to figure out his way back; it’s a futile attempt.

He tries to turn on one corner, hoping he’d recognize the place once he reaches another street.

He still doesn’t. _Damn it._

He sees a convenience store just ahead and decides to walk over and probably ask someone in there where he currently is, and maybe (he hopes) point him in the right direction, back to his neighbourhood.

He’s so focused on reaching the store that he does not notice someone passing him by. He’s only a few steps away when...

“Kagami?”

Taiga stops dead in his tracks.

_No_.

He knows that voice.

_No fucking way._

He’s wanted to hear that voice (and fears hearing it too) for quite some time.

Or always.

But the _words_.

The words stop him from turning.

'_I’m sorry.’_

_‘Yeah’_

_‘Aominecchi is getting married’_

There’s apprehension in the way his name was said. _Uncertainty. _Like he’s not sure he’s talking to the right person.

But Taiga stands still. He can feel his heart beating erratically. He feels like he’ll combust anytime soon. His mouth feels dry.

“Kagami? Is that you?”

Taiga can hear him walking closer.

And closer.

And he just wants to run.

Run away, and hide somewhere. Because the words, they’re ringing in his ears louder now.

There’s that pain in his chest again, and the sour taste in his mouth.

He gulps, and breathes, slowly, shakily; trying to calm himself down.

He knows he isn’t ready for this yet, but he’s done running away.

When Taiga hears him stopping right behind him, he breathes again.

_Fuck it._

Taiga turns around_._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniffs


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet again, and it will be a continuation of what they once were and a start of something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Thank you for all the kudos and comments. It makes me happy. I'm still fumbling my way through this but I hope you will continue supporting me.
> 
> Also, the characters will probably be OC here since I'm going with the it's-been-ten-years-and-they've-all-changed-and-matured-or-whatever kind of thing (I know it's a poor excuse because I really don't know what I'm doing). So I apologize in advance.

Taiga has a lot of things that he wants to forget in his life or wishes he could forget.

A lot.

Like that night on his 22nd birthday that he spent with Ryouta and Shougo; with all three of them being deadass drunk in the middle of the night; drunkenly pouring their feelings out, crying (more like wailing, really) - which they all vehemently denied (because it never happened if they all say it didn't, right?) the morning after, or the next mornings after that.

Or that night of another one of their drunken misadventures, when they somehow - and even after all these years, he still has no idea how it happened, or why their stupid, drunk selves thought it was a good idea - stumbled upon his father's office - which Taiga had access to - , singing their lungs out, rolling around the floor, and then laughing at Shougo for making out with his father's vase. It was good thing that no one else was there.

Or at least they thought so.

Because his father apparently had other ideas when he saw the CCTV footage; he showed the video as a presentation to his employees, obviously having the fun of his life at his son's and his son's friends' expense.

Suffice to say they all stopped trying to get drunk after that.

But some memories just persist, no matter how many times you try to bury them. They crawl their way out, scratching, biting, clawing at one's heart, like it's trying to shred it to pieces everytime it does.

Taiga thought he'd been successful in forgetting some of those memories, but he's always been proven wrong. They're still there, lurking around the corners of his mind, _waiting_, for the right moment to lash out, and _hurt_. He's been desperate to forget them, much more than those drunken nights of embarrassment.

Forget that memory of him in an airport 10 years ago, listening to the words _'I'm sorry'_; feeling helpless, but pretending otherwise, with nothing else to respond but an understanding '_Yeah_'.

Or that memory, 2 years ago, of waking up and realizing his dream just shattered in an instant; feeling betrayed, angry, pained, and horrifyingly hopeless; finding himself unable to do anything but weep, as silently as he could, muffling his mouth, his _heart_, his _soul_, then reaching for his phone, seeking comfort, _finding it_, only to be cruelly taken from him again.

He wishes, fervently, to truly, truly forget them.

But he can't. No matter how many times he wishes to.

Some memories just refuse to let go, and you can't really do anything but live with them.

No matter how painful.

And Taiga has learned to live with these memories.

Or at least he tries to.

(He still wishes he could forget them sometimes.)

So, Taiga stands there, hands trembling inside the pockets of his sweatpants, his jaw clenching in an attempt to fake a smile, looking at the familiar face that's ever present in those memories.

Even if he hasn't seen that face in a decade. The memories are enough to remind him all the time.

Taiga has never forgotten that face. He’d recognize it anywhere. But he supposes it's also because it hasn't really changed much. Everything about it is almost the same, except, now, it looks more defined; the jaw, the nose, those lips, those hauntingly beautiful eyes.

Puberty seemed to favour him well.

He looks as _beautiful_ as Taiga remembers him, if not more.

His heart aches, his hands itches to touch, to trace every inch, but his eyes, his eyes refuse to look down at those hands; or that one hand that’s maybe, probably, wearing something that glitters under the sun.

He isn't ready to see it yet.

"Yo." He tries.

He didn't stutter. It's a good thing.

There's a look of surprise mixed with disbelief in those eyes, like he's having a hard time believing he's not being deceived by what's in front of him.

"It's really you?" Even his voice sounds disbelieving.

Taiga tries to appear nonchalant - eventhough his hands are both sweaty and clenched inside his pockets - , so he rolls his eyes.

"Of course it's me. Who else do you think, idiot." Good. He can do this.

"Oh wow. It's really you. What the hell man, it's been so long. I thought I was seeing things." The man chuckles and ruffles his blue hair. Taiga pointedly avoids looking at his hand. "But seeing that stupid eyebrows of yours, I guess it really is you huh."

Taiga feels himself relax a little bit at the casual insult. "So you're still an asshole huh?" 

Instead of being offended, the man just chuckles again, like he's having fun being insulted. If it was 10 years ago, he'd definitely snarl at Taiga with an answering insult ready at the tip of his tongue.

Kami, it really has been such a long time.

So why does he feel like he’s back to being a teenager again?

"Man," a sigh, "I can't believe this. How long have you been back?"

Taiga purses his lips for a moment before he answers. "About 6 months now."

The man in front of him looks like he wasn't expecting that. There's evident look of surprise, and hurt(?) in there. "That long, huh?" He looks away from Taiga, and there's something about _that_ that makes his heart ache just a little more. "Does anyone else know you're back?"

He thinks for a moment. He thinks about Ryouta and Shougo, and about that silent, mutual agreement. "No." He replies. "I haven't told anyone yet. I've had a lot of things to take care of, so I haven't really had the time to inform anyone."

Taiga does not expect for the other man to visibly brighten at his answer, so he feels a little taken aback. What did he say, exactly, to make him look like that?

He wonders if he's seeing things too.

"I see." The man sounds like he's breathless, and relieved for some reason.

Taiga thinks he's being weird. But the reaction helps him feel more at ease.

He still does not look at his hands.

Instead, his eyes shifted to look at his hair; the blue strands falling to some areas of his forehead and above those eyes. His bangs are a little longer now, compared to when he last saw him, Taiga realizes. His hair still looks as soft as it did, all those years ago, and he can't help but wanting to feel a few strands between his fingers.

"So uh," The softness and hesitation of the voice snaps Taiga's attention back to his face. "It's really been a while. I mean, it's been 2 years since the last time we talked, and way too long since we last saw each other. And..." He trails off, frowning, and he's somehow staring at Taiga's shoulder like he's angry at whatever's in there. He looks like he's trying to start a fight, or break a fight, Taiga doesn't know which, but he keeps his mouth shut, waiting for the other man to convey what it is that he wants to say.

Anytime soon, and he'll probably start having a heart attack, with how loud and fast his heart is beating.

"Uh, I know you said you're busy or something, but, I guess, uh" His frown is deepening and Taiga feels amused, for some odd reason. "I'd really like for us to hang out and catch up, if you have time."

"Why are you being so fidgety about it? That's gross." Taiga decides to throw a joke, like he's not feeling the same.

Although he can't help but think of those words again.

'_I'm sorry'_

_'Yeah'_

He wonders if the nervousness in the air is because of that. Does the other man still remember those words as well? Is that why he keeps hesitating? Is that why he's trying to invite Taiga and looking like he doesn't really want to?

"Shut up!" The bluehead snaps, but he looks embarrassed, and really it's getting ridiculous because Taiga's supposed to ask for directions a while ago, but now he's stuck there, in the middle of the sidewalk, agonizing over a conversation he never expected to have with someone he never expected to see so soon, or _ever_ (if he could've helped it).

"Like I said, we haven't seen each other in a while, so I'm not sure how to go about this." He ruffles his blue hair again, looking frustrated.

"You don't have to be all fidgety and gross about it though. It makes you look like you're constipated." Taiga jokes again, because he can't stand the awkwardness that's starting to grow even more.

"Shut up, Kagami. Stop being a jerk when it's you who suddenly stopped-" He pauses, clearly trying to stop himself from finishing the sentence. He looks a little guilty, and it makes Taiga bite his lip. 

The silence stretches for a few seconds, before Taiga heaves a sigh. "Yeah, sorry about that, just had a lot going on, you know?" He finally says.

The man in front of him looks at him then, his expression solemn, his eyes shines with emotions that Taiga cannot really name. "Yeah, I know." He says, almost in a whisper. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay." Taiga cuts him off. "Look, I don't really like this,” he waves his hand around in front of them, trying to insinuate whatever point he wants the other to understand, “this, whatever this atmosphere is between us. It's awkward as fuck, and we both know you and I don't do awkward. So, just stop. Nothing's changed between us even if we haven't seen or talked with each other in a while." He says, and he knows he's frowning.

He knows he's telling this more to himself than to the man in front of him.

A sigh. "Okay." Another sigh, but this time, it sounds more like he's relieved. "Okay, yeah. You're right, Bakagami." And suddenly, Taiga sees that familiar smirk appear on that face.

Something in his stomach flutters, but Taiga refuses to acknowledge it. "Of course I'm right, Ahomine."

It surprises him how easily the nickname rolled out of his tongue. Saying it, felt right, like he hasn’t stopped saying it for a decade, like it’s the most natural thing for him to say.

He hears another chuckle. And really, it's getting more ridiculous, because he's feeling both a prickling pain in his heart, and a fluttering something in his stomach. It's been so long since he's felt like that, and he's a little peeved at the thought.

He shouldn't be feeling that way. Not anymore.

Not for him.

Not again.

'_Aominecchi is getting married'_

Taiga's jaw clenches again, and the man must've noticed, because his expression changes from amused to worried in an instant.

"Hey, you okay?" And then, as if seeming to realize something, he softly curses. "Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. You did say you were busy. I should let you go your way."

Taiga feels the disappointment welling up inside of him. He shrugs, aiming for uncaring but appearing unnaturally stiff. "I said I've been busy. I didn't say I'm busy right now."

Blue eyes perked up at his words, and really, the idiot should stop doing that. It’s doing weird things to his heart. "Really? Wait," a pause, and then a look of confusion, "What're you doing here anyway? Do you live around here?"

He looks around, probably trying to figure out if there’s a place that might look like where Taiga can spend his time sleeping and eating.

_Oh right_. "No. I uh," he scratches the back of his neck, remembering why he’s even there in the first place. He wonders if he should be honest. "I'm actually lost." Okay, apparently, his mouth is a lot faster at deciding.

He hears and sees the man chortling - and even though he already expects that reaction (because well, some things just don’t change, don’t they?) - Taiga still feel like strangling the bastard, butterflies in his stomach be damned.

"Holy fuck, Kagami. You're still as stupid as ever. How did you even manage to get lost here?"

The man is still cackling. _Damn bastard._

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh your ass off, Aomine. I hope you choke and keel over." He says while rolling his eyes, but they both know he doesn't mean it.

He used to say it all the time, but he’s never really meant it before.

_I guess that’s one more thing that hasn’t changed._

The atmosphere between them now seems more relaxed. More like how it used to, back when they were younger.

It’s both scary and refreshing.

But Taiga still does not look at the other man's hands.

"Can't help it." The blue-haired man is still chuckling; his eyes are dancing with mirth, and Taiga thinks it makes him look like the 16-year-old boy he used to play one on one with. It hit Taiga with a strong wave of nostalgia, and he can't help but smile a genuine smile.

Aomine smiles too, a surprised and honest smile.

Taiga's heart squeezes.

If Aomine keeps doing that, Taiga’s sure he’s the one who’d keel over soon.

"So, where do you have to go?" Aomine asks after he _finally_ stopped laughing – if he didn’t stop, Taiga seriously considered decking his face - , his lips still upturned and tone much more amused now. "Maybe I know the place and I can give you directions."

He (begrudgingly) tells him the place, and Aomine tells him the names of the streets that he should turn to. Apparently, it's just close to where they currently are.

"So, do you live around here?" Taiga can't help but ask after a while, because Aomine seems very familiar with the area.

But the other man shakes his head. "Not really. I was visiting a sick co-worker with some of my other co-workers. I just went out to buy some food."

"I see." Taiga says, not really knowing what else to say. He almost adds ‘You must’ve been around here a lot’ but he stops himself. There’s asking, and then there’s prying. He’s not sure if he’s still allowed to take advantage of the latter.

Because he knows they’re not the same as before. Because it’s been too long. Because a lot has happened.

Because those words stop him.

"So, I guess, I have to go. I need to shop for food as well." He says instead. He hopes he doesn't sound as disappointed as he feels.

The other man stays silent for a while, looking a little pensive, while staring at Taiga. "So," He finally says, and sighs before adding, "about that catching up I mentioned. Are you, maybe, up for it when you have the time?" He looks and sound hesitant.

He's not supposed to feel relieved, but he does. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course."

Aomine looks positively beaming when he said that, and he can't help but feel warm. Even though they've been standing there for a while, and Taiga feels like his feet are already complaining, a smile spreads on his lips, so naturally, like it's supposed to always be there.

"Great, okay. Have you changed your number?" Aomine asks.

Taiga's smile falters. "Yeah." He manages to get out. "I changed both my number and my e-mail address.”

"Figures." Aomine says it like it's no big deal, when they both know _it is_. "Here, I'll give you mine. You can contact me whenever." He takes his phone out. 

Taiga avoids looking at his hand; instead, he takes his phone out too, just to have something else to look at.

He doesn't say that he still has Aomine's number and e-mail; scribbled on his notebook at home (which he kept in perfect condition), or that he’s memorized them, he can probably type them out with his eyes closed. He tells himself he probably doesn't need to, because maybe Aomine changed his number too.

He didn’t, Taiga realizes when he stares at the numbers and the e-mail reflected on his phone. He feels the guilt gnawing on his throat; it makes him want to say something, anything, but he stops himself. Because what can he say?

Nothing.

So he keeps his mouth shut and instead just decides to give Aomine his contact info as well.

After the exchange, they both stand there for a few more minutes - now side by side - in silence. The silence was surprisingly light, and comfortable. Taiga doesn't want to break it.

But he knows he has to.

"So, I think it's time for me to really go. I have a lot of things to buy." He finally says, but not without reluctance.

He does not look at Aomine for his reaction. He just kept his gaze in front, his hands still inside his sweatpants.

"Yeah, okay. Right. I guess me too. I think I've kept the guys waiting." Aomine answers with a nervous chuckle and Taiga does not know what to make of that.

"Right. I'll see you around then." He says, and gives Aomine a quick glance.

He sees blue eyes staring at him, and Taiga almost sucked a breath, because Aomine looks like he too, does not want for the conversation to end, as awkward as it was. But then he looks away and shrugs.

"Yeah, I'll see you around."

Taiga nods at that and turns around. The steps he takes away from the other man are heavy. Like his feet are laden with lead, and his heart is filled with an almost unbearable longing. Taiga thinks it's ironic how he thought he wasn't ready to meet Aomine yet, but when he does meet him again, he does not want for them to part so soon.

Even though the words are still ringing in his ears. Even though his heart aches whenever he remembers those words.

He realizes he missed Aomine. He misses him. He’s going to miss him.

_Fucking hell. This confusing shit._

He's only walked a few steps away when he hears Aomine's voice again.

"Taiga?"

Taiga's heart jumps, and he knows Aomine saw him flinching. He sounds so far, _so, so far_ than he actually is, and the voice is undeniably dipped with longing that it makes Taiga want to cry.

He knows Aomine misses how they once were too, no matter what words were exchanged between them. He probably waited, waited for Taiga to reach out all those years ago. Waited for him to get over those words, feeling anxious, and then relieved when Taiga did reach out, confused when he stopped again.

"Yeah?" He does not turn around.

Aomine's voice is soft, like he's whispering, but Taiga hears him loud and clear. "I'll call you, yeah? Or send you a message."

With the way Taiga is feeling, there's probably already a damn snake in his stomach. A smile stretches his mouth – he does not know if it looks as conflicted as he feels - and he turns around, to look at that - dare he say it - gorgeous, gorgeous man he once called his best friend (and probably still is if he stops allowing those words to continue tormenting himself). "Okay. Yeah."

Taiga knows he has to let go. He has to. It's been too long. _Too damn long_. And he promised himself he's done running away from it, for his and Aomine’s sake. He has to face those memories, not try to forget them, but face them head on. Because there will be no escaping them, ever.

So, he lets his eyes flutter downwards, to where Aomine's left hand is, bracing his heart for what’s to come pouring down on it.

It's unfortunate, however, that the answer evades him at that moment, because the hand is now stuffed inside the other's pocket.

His heart is beating wildly, and he’s not sure if he’s disappointed or relieved.

But when he looks up to Aomine’s face again and is graced with that smile, that smile that still somehow manages to take his breath away, Taiga thinks it is enough for now.

He can get the answers later.

Maybe, hopefully, when he's truly ready.

* * *

Taiga gets home - with heavy grocery bags occupying both his hands - he finds Shougo slumped on his doorway, looking like the dead had sucked the life out of him. He probably heard Taiga's footsteps because he suddenly perks up, a grin plastering his tired face.

"What took ya so long? I've been here for over 2 hours already." He tries to sound like he's complaining, but it's relief that Taiga hears.

"I got lost." Is Taiga's answer. He puts the bags down and digs his pocket for his key.

"What, on the way home?"

Taiga almost snorts at that. Because it's not on the way home that he got lost. "No, in life." He decides to say, because it's kind of true.

Shougo looks somewhat baffled at his answer; his eyebrows are raised and his lips are pursed. And then his expression changed to that of worry. "Are ya o-"

"I was joking." Taiga cuts off, because, _well_, as much as he wants to be a jerk to Shougo sometimes - and vice versa - he doesn't want to worry his friend more than he should.

He opens the door and Shougo takes most of the grocery bags, shuffling behind him, and saying pleasantries to no one in particular, when they entered the _genkan._

When they both put the bags down the kitchen counter, Taiga goes to the refrigerator to take some stuff he needs to replace out, while Shougo trudges towards the sofa.

"Why are you here, anyway? I thought you were busy hiding." He asks while he puts some of what he bought inside the fridge.

"To fill my stomach with food, what else?" He sounds like he’s saying ‘_duh, isn’t it obvious?’_, but they both know he's really there to check how Taiga is doing. "I was busy with work, for yer information. It's because both ya and Ryouta kept dragging me around everywhere that I had to make up for the days I, apparently, slacked off on."

Taiga feels a little guilty for that, so he mutters an apology while he continues to rummage around his fridge.

"And I also _was_ hiding from someone. So I slept at the office for two weeks. I figured it'd look like I was really working hard that way, too. So that’s hitting two birds with one stone.”

Okay, yeah, that guilt just flew out the window. He scoffs. "Right, yeah. Remind me never to feel sorry for your sorry ass again."

He hears Shougo hum in response, so he turns around to look at what the other man is doing. He sees him lazily staring at his phone, his brows scrunched together.

"What's the matter?" Taiga asks.

Shougo looks at him. "Ryouta sent me a hundred e-mails. The bastard is spamming me."

Taiga can't help but snort, because he knows why Ryouta did that. Between the two of his friends, Ryouta is the nagging type. His sympathy is with Shougo on this one. He feels a little responsible, but it doesn't mean he does not find it amusing.

"He says yer looking for a manager? You want me to help ya find one?"

"No. I figured I'll just have to spare time to schedule some interviews. I'll just have to post a hiring notice outside the restaurant next week."

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah."

Taiga stops rummaging through the grocery bags and places both his hands on the kitchen counter. He wonders if he should tell Shougo, or if he should keep it to himself. He stays like that for a minute or two, hearing the sound of Shougo flopping down the sofa, before he opens his mouth.

"I met Aomine."

He hears the sofa creak, and even though his back is turned towards him, he can practically feel Shougo's surprise from where he is. "What?!" He sounds really surprised too. "When?" The tone changed to cautious and worried in a matter of seconds.

"This afternoon." Taiga decides to say. He does not face Shougo because he does not know what face he's currently wearing. "I ran into him on the way to the grocery store."

He can hear Shougo standing up and walking towards him.

"Fuck, really? Did ya talk? What happened? Are ya okay?" It comes as no surprise, really, that Shougo bombards him with questions like he's interrogating him. Shougo only talks that way when he's very worried. Gone was the uncaring, violent, edgy, teenager he once was. And Taiga feels a little proud to know that Shougo's unexpected friendship with him and Ryouta changed that once cruel, bitter boy to someone who genuinely cares and not be afraid to show it - his womanizing aside.

Taiga then turns to face him, and he smiles. The gray-haired man looks surprised at the smile, but it looks like the good kind of surprise. "Yeah. I think I am." Taiga says. "I'm not sure yet, but-" he pauses, and Shougo just stares at him, waiting, looking determined to not break whatever it is that wants to share, "you know Shougo, I think it was a good decision to go back here. I mean, I know dad suggested it, and I was having doubts at first, but I," He heaves a long sigh, "I think it did me good, you know. Being here, meeting Aomine. I think it's time I truly move forward." He shakes his head. "I can't stay stuck forever."

Shougo seems to contemplate on his confession for a moment, before he exhales. He can tell by his tense demeanour that he isn't sure what to say, or if what he'll say will be the right thing. He opens and then closes his mouth a few times before Taiga hears him speaking again. "As long as that's what ya feel, then okay. I just, I didn't expect ya to say that, ya know."

Taiga chuckles and he surprises himself by realizing how light it feels in his throat. "Yeah, me too. I mean, I'm not totally fine yet. But I feel like I'm getting there. I do have to start somewhere. I guess that somewhere is here."

He sees Shougo nod, and there's a small smile on his lips, like he can't quite believe what he's hearing. Taiga can't believe what he's hearing from himself either, but he supposes it's true. He knows he never really talks, most of the time, about how he truly feels, to his father, to Alex, to his friends. He's so used to masking his discomfort, his loneliness, his lack of confidence, his frustration, his _pain_, by being brash or by playing, and playing, _and playing_ basketball like he’s running out of time when he was younger, and then by being silent, laughing it off and saying he's okay when he got older.

Maybe he needs to stop doing those. Maybe he needs to talk, be honest, every once in a while.

"Yeah. That's great. Can't say I'm not surprised, but I'm glad. I'm really glad Taiga. This is a huge step for ya. But hey," Shougo looks at him, and there's a visible pride dancing in his eyes, "if you ever need someone, don't forget you have us. I mean, I may not be as present or as vocal as Ryouta, but I'm here."

Taiga smiles again. This time, he feels the smile all the way to his heart. "I know, idiot." He says.

He feels a little proud of himself too, and utterly grateful for having such amazing friends.

That night Taiga only has one nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniffs  
Taiga-chan, 'm proud of you too.
> 
> There's angst, and there will be fluff. Lots of it. Probably.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He remembers the good memories and decides to take the step to move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I managed to write 4 chapters in a week, thankfully. I had to move the plot along because I know there are still a lot of things that need to be addressed. I'm not very confident with how the chapters went, but I hope you enjoyed them.
> 
> Again, English is not my first language so please do not expect too much. I try, but, well, trying doesn't always mean it comes out great. Thank you for your understanding.

“Hello?”

(It’s a little odd how hearing certain voices can make your heart ache – in a good way, even when you haven’t really heard said certain voices in a long time. They drape your heart with sudden nostalgia and take you back to the good times, the times you missed dearly; the times of innocence, of recklessness, and of careless yet honest dreams.)

The familiar voice that Taiga hears has changed; it’s deeper now - a little scratchier too - but Taiga recognizes it all the same. 

“Kuroko?” He asks just to be sure.

Taiga waits with little amount of anticipation if his voice is recognized too.

“Yes?” There’s a pause and Taiga only has to wait a heartbeat before the voice on the other end speaks again. “Kagami-kun?”

He feels strangely comforted; knowing that even after all these years, Kuroko still remembers what his voice sounds like.

(In another world, he might think that’s a little creepy - although the same can be said about him immediately recognizing Kuroko's bland voice - but not in this one. He just feels happy he was not forgotten.)

“Yeah, it’s me.” He says with a smile on his face.

He’s sitting on a bench that’s on the (_forgotten_) old street court, after spending an exhausting hour under the afternoon's scorching sun, playing just by himself. He sat there for a while, basking under that heat, contemplating on what he should do next when he remembered that he still hasn’t called Kuroko.

(He refuses to let his mind wander to the many reasons why a certain someone hasn’t contacted him yet. Even though he said he _would_. Not that he’s waiting. He’s not (he is).)

It’s a good thing Kuroko hasn’t changed his number. Because the last time they spoke was 2 years ago, and Taiga thinks that’s a long time for things to happen, for numbers to be replaced, for friendships to _change_ or stop.

He hopes that’s not the case with their friendship. Because he knows that will be on him. He’s the one who went as silent as the dead for 2 years after all.

“I’m sorry it took me some time to get in touch with you again.” He says, because it’s important he lets Kuroko know that he just needed time. It isn’t like he was planning on never talking to him again.

“It’s alright, Kagami-kun. I know you’ll eventually contact me, when you’re ready.” He hears Kuroko answer. It's somehow reassuring, in a way, how the words are spoken without missing a beat, and the hand that’s gripping the phone finally relaxes. “I’m glad you finally called.” His tone does not really give that emotion away, but Taiga believes him. Because Kuroko's always been honest with him. He's always cared.

He slouches on the bench a little more and slings his arm on the headrest. He’s starting to feel the prickle of the heat on his nose, but the warmth feels good, so he stays there. “Yeah, me too.” He says while rolling the basket ball on the ground with his foot. “Listen, the reason I called is to tell you I’m back in Japan, and I think it would be great if we could hang out some time.”

“I know, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko says in response and Taiga thinks it’s weird why he’s the one feeling surprised.

“What? How?” He asks, because yeah, _how? Did Ryouta tell him?_ But...that would be impossible. Kuroko doesn’t know about Ryouta and him, and he knows, for a fact, that the blonde avoids doing or saying anything that might give their relationship away, and so does Taiga.

“Satsuki-san told me.”

Taiga honestly feels more confused, because just who is this Satsuki-san and why does she know Taiga is back? Or why does she even know him in the first place?  
  
"I'm sorry, who?"  
  
"Momoi Satsuki-san." Kuroko's response is immediate, but he says it in a way that one might think he's a good Samaritan trying to patiently give directions to a lost foreigner.  
  
Momoi Satsuki-san.  
  
Momoi Satsuki.  
  
Oh. _Oh._  
  
Taiga's eyes immediately widens in realization, and he chuckles because -  
  
_Right. Momoi_. The pink-haired girl who used to be all over Kuroko. He's never heard Kuroko address here by her first name, so it's no wonder he failed to immediately recognize the name.  
  
"I see. So, it was Momoi, huh?... Wait-" his eyebrows scrunch and he feels even more confused - if that is even possible. "How did she know? We've never met yet, or at least I think not."  
  
Taiga swears Kuroko's silence this time feels like his version of an eye-roll.  
  
"From Aomine-kun. He told her you two have met."  
  
The foot gently playing with the ball halts abruptly, and Taiga's nerves shot up in an instant when he hears the name.  
  
_From Aomine?_  
  
But-  
  
_Oh, right._  
  
How could he have forgotten?  
  
Aomine and Momoi were - and most likely still are, given the information that was shared between them in a matter of days - very close friends.

Childhood friends to be exact. Or perhaps more.

'_Aominecchi is getting married’_  
  
He feels the familiar pang in his chest and he shakes his head to rid himself of thoughts that’ll only serve in pushing that pang a little deeper. "I see." Is all that gets out of his mouth. He does not elaborate on it, nor feels the eagerness to share what happened with his very recent encounter with Aomine.  
  
Thankfully, Kuroko does not ask about it either.  
  
"Satsuki-san has told me that if you ever decided to give me a call, she wants me to tell you she's planning to have a small gathering of sorts with the generation of miracles, you, and some of our other close friends from high school." Kuroko says instead.  
  
Now _that_, that makes Taiga straighten up in surprise. "What?" He feels like his voice sounds hoarse all of a sudden.  
  
"Satsuki-san says it's because we haven't seen you in a long time, and this is a good chance to have a mini reunion with some of the others. It's been a decade, after all. Are you not okay about it, Kagami-kun?"  
  
Taiga swears that underneath Kuroko's monotonous voice, he can hear a tinge of disappointment and hope.  
  
"I do want to meet with you, and I know the others do too. But if you’re not comfortable about it, I suppose that's understandable. We can schedule a meet-up just between the two of us, instead."  
  
Taiga goes silent for a moment.  
  
Hearing Kuroko say those words like there's a silent plea in there, makes Taiga's heart squeeze in such a conflicted way. He admits that meeting with all the generation of miracles, and possibly some of their high school friends, is not really a part of his agenda at the moment. Or more like he's never really thought it'd happen - or want for it to happen - so soon. Even meeting Aomine was purely just a severe case of coincidence - or perhaps fate having too much fun throwing him off his feet every chance she gets.  
  
He's not really sure he's ready to see more pairs of sympathetic eyes, and more gentle and firm shoulder squeezes – he’s had enough of those from Ryouta and Shougo. Those always leave his tongue with both a bitter and a tangy taste, like he'd swallow the worst-flavored pill that he didn't really want to take, but is forced to anyway.  
  
But refusing now would only prolong the agony. Because he doesn't really know if he's ever going to be ready for those, and it's not like he hadn't been avoiding them for long enough already. Besides, they had been a huge part of his life when he was younger - and full of dreams and vigor, and perhaps, he's been a little too absorbed with his own misery that he'd forgotten everything that they had been to him, or what he had been to them.  
  
His mind wanders back to those days of old; to those days of fun, of basketball friendly (and unfriendly) rivalries; of laughter, and teasing, and parties spent at his apartment.  
  
He thinks about that lucky pencil that Midorima (reluctantly) gave him as a parting gift - which had admittedly been a huge help to him, and which he still presently keeps inside one of his boxes - when he went back to the states, Murasakibara's favorite snacks shoved inside his luggage - which he only found when he unpacked; how the purple-haired giant managed to sneakily stuff them there was beyond him, and of the extravagant, very luxurious watch that Akashi gave him that came with a pair of scissors, because Akashi, apparently, found it amusing to remind Taiga of their first meeting. (He still keeps that pair of scissors even though he thinks it's cursed by the devil.)  
  
He remembers Momoi, and that box of handkerchiefs with a cute note that says, _'Kagamin, I know you'll never make a girl cry, but if you see a girl that's crying, hand her one of these and she'll really appreciate it.'___  
  
There was only one instance when he was able to use them.  
  
He thinks about Seirin; about everyone in the basketball club who he'd shared both good and bad times with and the bond that made him become not just a better player but a better person and friend as well. And then about Kuroko, and their friendship that never wavered all throughout the years; of his constant support, and of the strength and determination he had generously shared with Taiga.  
  
He thinks about Ryouta, and his nagging, his worried questions, the tears they shed together - both drunk and sober, and both his loud and silent support when Taiga needed it most.  
  
He thinks about Aomine, and the unlikely friendship they formed together; the friendly(?) insults, the bickering, the seemingly unending one-on-ones that always left them both exhausted and sated, the three pairs of expensive Jordan's that he still keeps in perfect condition. He thinks about the way Aomine lazed around his sofa while he was preparing dinner, the arguments about which good movie to watch; about Aomine staying most of the weekends over, and him finding Aomine asleep on his bed when he got home after being in LA for a week. He remembers that many, many other words that were shared between them;  
  
_'Hey Bakagami, playing against you is really the best.'_  
'Heh, I thought you'd say something like, "playing against myself is really the best."'  
  
'All right, fine. I admit that your cooking is somewhat passable.'  
'Stop being a tsundere and just admit you like my cooking.'  
'I'm not a tsundere, you asshole!'  
  
'Kagami, stop being so wishy-washy and let's just buy that blue rug so I can pay for it! It's going to look the same on your floor!'  
'No it's not! And we still have to buy another mug because you broke yours, again!'  
  
'I'm home!'  
'Welcome ho- wait...What do you mean you're home? This isn't your house, you idiot.'  
'What's the difference? I eat here and I sleep here.'  
'Yeah, but only on the weekends.'  
'Well, I can sleep here everyday then.'  
  
'Hey, Taiga, I'm really glad I met you.'  
'I'm glad I met you too, Daiki. Now, let's stop being sappy before I barf.'  
'Actually, I already threw up in my mouth right after I said that.'  
  
'I'll always be here for you.'  
'Yeah, I know.'  
  
Remembering all those words, seems to break the dam inside him like raging water, making him feel like he's out of breath, desperately gasping for air, and something warm and heavy surges in his heart, because it's been so long, _so long_ since he's willingly remembered those words. It hurts to remember, but it's liberating too, to somehow be able to remember so many good memories they’d shared together. He wonders why he'd pushed all those memories at the very back of his mind, _of his heart_. But now, everything violently flows, breaking all the locks he'd placed to keep them tightly shut.   
  
After feeling like his breath has been punched out of him, enough to have him shaking, the air in his lungs clears. He inhales a slow, deep breath before he puffs it out – like he’s exhaling what has suffocated him, and he feels warm all over. He's certain it's not because of the sun this time.

"Kagami-kun?" He hears Kuroko ask. Taiga's sure his prolonged silence and his uneven breathing has been the cause of that shift in tone. The worry is now clear in that voice.  
  
Taiga heaves another sigh and looks above, squinting his eyes a little, to get a clearer view of the clear, blue sky.  
  
There's still a bitter taste in his mouth, and that slight discomfort in his knee, but he figures they'll go away soon too. His heart feels a little steadier, compared to how it once was, the more he remembers those memories he tucked away with purpose. He supposes it's time he takes another step forward.  
  
"Yeah." He breathes out. "Tell Momoi it's okay. I'll be there."

* * *

A week after his call with Kuroko, and a week of surprising silence from Ryouta, Taiga finds himself muttering curses under his breath and sweating profusely while aggressively chopping onions like there’s no tomorrow. It’s one of those days in the restaurant when customers never seem to run out while two of his kitchen staff is out sick. In other words, it’s one of those hellish days when he’d wish he has six hands instead of two.

“Boss! We have two more tables filled. There’s two orders of Donburi, two Tonkatsu, and five Teriyaki burgers.” Matsuri muttered somewhere.

“Fuck!” Taiga can’t help but grumble.

He’s thankful, really, elated even, to know that customers keep pouring in. It only means they like the food served at his restaurant, and that’s a good thing.

When he started the business, he wasn’t really very confident of the outcome. Although a lot of people had told him he’d go far in the food industry, he wasn’t very confident he’d fare well when numbers are involved. He’s never really been good with numbers, and he never really had to cook to earn before. But surprisingly, it worked out quite well. Good reviews were left on their new website, a lot of the customers came back again and again, and some had personally asked for him to tell him his food tasted exquisite despite the budget-friendly price, and he was never in the red. Honestly, he couldn’t be more relieved.

However, right now, relief does not even take 1% of the emotions he’s currently feeling and he’s also pretty sure exhaustion takes 90%. Any other day, if he isn’t buried neck-deep in customers and unwashed dishes, he’d probably sing hallelujah or something. Right now, he just wants to roll over somewhere and close his eyes.

“Sasaki, you prepare the Donburi, Kitani, you take the Tonkatsu. I’ll make the Teriyaki burgers.”

“Got it, boss~” Kitani chirps like he’s just drank a bucket load of energy drink, and honestly, Taiga has no idea how the man always appears to be a ball of sparkling energy even when he’s swamped with mountains of meat to chop – and reeking of garlic too. He’s even worse than Ryouta. Not that he minds the eagerness, especially when he’s working, but the fucking sparkly attitude is making him more exhausted.

Sasaki, on the other hand, simply nods and gets to work, almost robotically. Apart from the eagerness in his eyes, you can’t really tell if he wants to do the job or if someone is just forcing him to. But Taiga knows the kid really likes what he does, because he always takes extra effort to make the dishes look more appealing than Kitani does.

Taiga cooks the teriyaki burgers like it’s taking him no effort to do so. Out of all his original recipes, this one takes the top of the tastiest dish he can make. He’d once made it his mission to make the tastiest Teriyaki burger, and it filled him with pride that he’d been successful when the person he (painstakingly) made it for, complimented him for it, for a week. And that’s saying something, given the other person’s lack of ability – or stubborn refusal – to dish out compliments.

It’s an hour later, when things finally started calming down and Taiga has a chance to breathe. He checks the time on his phone and realizes it’s because it’s 10 minutes before they close up. No wonder, it’s grown quieter in the dining area.

Sasaki and Kitani start cleaning the kitchen area too, the former washing the dishes and the latter taking out the trash.

He stretches his arms and legs and groans when he feels his muscles tingling. Damn, even his limbs are complaining.

“Boss.” He hears Matsuri call out to him, somewhat timidly, and he turns his head to look at the other man peering in the kitchen door that’s connected to the cashier’s counter.

“Yeah?” He asks, his eyebrow raised.

“Uhm.” Matsuri scratches his head nervously and it makes Taiga raise his eyebrow a little more.

Why is Matsuri acting like he’s done something wrong? He looks at the guy suspiciously. Did he anger a customer or break something?

“What is it?” He asks, not bothering to mask his irritation at the other’s reluctance in telling him _what the fuck is going on._

“Uh, a customer here says he wants to talk to the chef that made the Teriyaki burgers.”

“Then say it sooner.” Taiga briskly walks the distance over to the door where Matsuri is.

“It’s because the customer looks like he’s pissed off or something.” Matsuri whispers and he looks really nervous.

Both of Taiga’s eyebrows shot up at that. So the customer is asking for him to complain? That would be a first since he’s pretty sure he makes one of the best Teriyaki burgers. He’s not really bragging per se, he’s just really confident it’s that good, and he’s quite sure the reviews left on their website and the many, many compliments he personally heard from their customers are enough to back that confidence up.

But maybe the customer just has a different taste. Well... if it’s a complaint, he supposes he doesn’t really have a choice but to get out there and get it over with.

He walks past Matsuri, and trudges over to the table where the customer was supposedly seated according the other man. When Taiga gets close enough to see the man’s side profile, and familiar blue hair, his heart lurches to his throat.

“A-Aomine?” That lurch probably broke his throat and his mouth.

Aomine turns around in surprise and his mouth gapes when he sees who had called – or more like stuttered - his name.

“Kagami?” His voice is laced with disbelief again.

Seriously, Taiga wants to laugh at these coincidences but his heart is not allowing him to, at the moment. It’s busy jumping around his chest that he wouldn’t really be surprise if it literally jumps out and goes straight to Aomine’s face.

Aomine looks confused for a moment before realization seemingly dawned on him. “Wait, you’re the chef?”

The snort that came out of his nose is actually to mask the fact that his teeth have chosen that very moment to bite his tongue.

“So that’s why it tasted so fucking familiar.” He hears Aomine say, and sees him shaking his head.

“Huh?” He asks dumbly, and he’s pretty sure he can see Matsuri and Naruse – the cashier – discreetly whispering to each other and looking at both him and Aomine with curious eyes.

Aomine rolls his eyes. “The teriyaki burgers. I wondered why they tasted so familiar so I wanted to see the person who made it.”

“And so?” He asks again. “Now that you know it’s me, are you going to tell me it’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted?” He teases because he’s now regained his composure and breathing, and probably gained a little bit of courage too.

There’s a smirk that spreads on Aomine’s face so fast that Taiga wants to shove a knuckle down his throat in case his heart decides to crawl all the way out. “Eh, it’s passable enough, I guess.”

He’s been trying to convince himself that he’ll have no problem with seeing Aomine again at the gathering that Momoi is organizing. He’s made the resolve ever since his call with Kuroko. Only, he thought he’d have enough time to steel himself at least. He never expected to meet him again so soon.

Fate really does like stepping on his toes.

But, ready or not, he’d already decided to stop running away.

“Still such a tsundere.” He mutters and he smirks back.

Aomine laughs at that, and it looks so _carefree_ that he almost clutches his heart because there’s that familiar ache again. It’s subtle, but piercing and he wants to turn away from that carefree expression. It still does things to him. Things he’d rather not feel anymore. But seeing Aomine sitting there, his eyes crinkling while he laughs, and looking like he’s been living a happy life, also makes something inside Taiga clears.

Aomine looks content, healthy... _happy_. And even though there’s a persistent prickling sensation in his chest, his hands, his _eyes_, Taiga does not turn away.

He does not want those words that held him back for so long, continue to bind him and shackle him to the past.

Not anymore.

He’d told himself he’d take the steps to move forward after all. This will be another one of those steps.

He allows a smile to grace his lips and tries his best to make it look as sincere as he can.

“I’m glad it looks like your married life is treating you well, Aomine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Watching you love someone else broke my heart, but seeing you glow with so much happiness because of that love, gave meaning to all the broken pieces." - Aya
> 
> Once again, your kudos and comments will be a lot of help. You can tell me if the chapters suck, or if you enjoyed them. Thank you so much. And thank you to those who left comments and clicked that lovely kudos button! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was stewing over this chapter for a few days and almost decided to give up altogether, because my mind refused to cooperate. So I got stuck for a while. But I really want to continue this story, so I still tried my best to write something. It isn't much, but I hope it's not as bad as I think it is.  
Once again, kudos and comments of any kind are much appreciated. Thank you! <3

There was a night, after Taiga got drafted in the NBA, when Ryouta and him got wasted out of their wits, in a private bar, somewhere they couldn't even remember. It could've been just one of those many nights, where they drank their fill - which meant just enough to get a little tipsy, talked about trivial things, and then went home even before the midnight striked.

But something about that night was different. Maybe it was the elation he felt after getting drafted, or maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was how Ryouta's mask of cheerfulness fell off - somewhere between the drinks he gulped and the words they exchanged, only to be replaced by a look of pure anguish; Taiga still isn't sure which.

They were both intoxicated, but not enough to stop themselves from talking - or perhaps too intoxicated to stop.

"Tell me, Kagamicchi, have you ever fallen in love with someone you aren't supposed to fall in love with?"

It was the question that started it all. Taiga's hand, which held a bottle of beer, paused midway to his mouth, and he turned to give Ryouta a quizzical look, but the blonde wasn't looking at him. Instead, his eyes were fixed at the beer on his hand, his expression was something Taiga could only describe as forlorn.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't know what to say, so he decided to look away, pondering on the question for a moment and feeling something heavy settle on his chest. He breathes out, probably louder than he should've - and it must've caught Ryouta's attention, because he started speaking again.

"It's hard, you know? Loving someone so much, and feeling like there's always a big gaping hole in your heart, and no matter what you do, you can't seem to fill that hole." He heard Ryouta breathe shakily and Taiga wasn't aware he was clenching that bottle of beer in his hand so hard, his knuckles turned white with the pressure. "And it's terrifying, thinking you might not get over that someone, no matter how much time passed. That you might have to always feel that void, right here-" he points to his chest with a bitter smile, and there was so much pain in his voice that Taiga just wanted to stop listening, because it resonated with the pain in his chest, so so much.

He understood the pain in those words, all too well, despite having tried to run away from it. It was still there, twisting and turning, and stabbing his heart with sadistic vigor, and it must've been the beer, because Taiga felt like crying, and it was ridiculous, because he should've been feeling nothing else but happiness, it should've been a celebration because he just got drafted _for goodness' sake_.

(And it was funny, in an ironic way, how he heard those words and that tone come out from the mouth of someone who seemed capable of getting everything he wanted, or everyone he so desired.)

Despite his internal struggle, he was not able to stop the words that came out of his mouth next. "I know." Even to his own ears, he sounded so bitter, so resigned, so _despondent_, that he was not surprised when Ryouta turned to look at him with a look of realization.

"I didn't know you were in love with someone." It was both a statement and a request for confirmation, and Taiga felt like it was probably time he got it off his chest. Maybe then, he'd finally be able to let it go.

"I wa-" He paused and thought about the word for a second, before he resigned himself to - _finally -_ throw the lies and the denial away. "I am." He paused again, and then he looked at Ryouta, before he breathed out the next words. "With Aomine."

It was a little liberating, to finally let it out, to finally hear himself say those words, and he waited, with little amount of dread, for Ryouta's face to morph into that of disgust or of prejudice.

However, none of those came. Ryouta just looked bewildered and thoroughly blown away by his confession that if it was any other time, Taiga didn't doubt the blonde would probably be squealing and jumping around.

"A-Aominecchi?" Ryouta sounded like he just broke his windpipe, the look of surprise lasting for a moment before it turned to that of understanding, and acceptance. "I see. I wasn't expecting that."

"I wasn't planning on saying it either...ever." Was all he said before looking away.

Ryouta just hummed and started twiddling his fingers with the tissue on the table. He looked pensive, like he was thinking about what to say next. Taiga didn't know what he expected from the blonde when he said those words, but he wasn't going to take them back, even if Ryouta decided to break their friendship off because of those words when he got sober enough to realize what they meant. He was tired of keeping it all to himself, and honestly, he was probably too drunk to care.

"It must've been hard for you." Ryouta said after a while, and there was that look of longing on his face again. "I don't think I can fully relate with the circumstances, but the pain, the struggles- " Ryouta paused and smiled a bitter smile. It was the very first time that he saw it on the blonde's face, but he saw it on his own face far too many times, that just looking at it pained him. "_those,_ I can probably relate with."

They never had a conversation like that before, and although it was unusual, Taiga thought it was somehow welcomed. He could tell that Ryouta had been agonizing over it for a while, and while both of them didn't want to pry for too much information, they were at least both willing to lend an ear. He couldn't help but feel thankful too, for having been accepted and _understood,_ without question, for something he had been so broken up about for some time.

"If I am to be honest, I never expected for you to be going through something like that. I mean, you always seem cheerful, and I always pegged you to be someone people go crazy over, not the other way around." He decided to say, because it was true. In the 2 years they'd lived together, he had never seen Ryouta showing any signs of a heartbreak. Either he wasn't paying enough attention, or Ryouta's just that good of an actor.

There was a soft chuckle before Ryouta answered. "Even I don't always get what I want, Kagamicchi. And I never expected the same of you too. But well," he shrugged and chugged a few gulps of beer before he put it down and gently dropping his head down on the table. "I guess it's tragic in it's own way, don't you think so, Kagamicchi? How we desperately try not to show to others how lonely or sad we truly are." His voice was muffled - and perhaps trembling a little, but Taiga heard him all the same.

It squeezed his heart in a terrible way, and the huge lump that threatened to rise in his throat almost choked him. Normally, he would have made fun of Ryouta for being so serious, being so _dramatic_, but Taiga couldn't bring himself to crack even one joke, or say anything in jest. It was a little unnerving, how Ryouta kept saying words that he'd always felt, but also strangely comforting to know he wasn't alone in whatever he was going through.

Ryouta didn't say anything for a while after that, while Taiga continued gulping the bitter liquid down his throat like he was using it to force the lump down. He was quietly glad that Ryouta didn't probe further, because he was sure he wasn't too keen in sharing more, and he figured Ryouta must've felt the same, so, he too, didn't ask anything more.

After what seemed like an eternity of the suffocating, heavy atmosphere, Ryouta loudly tapped both his hands on the table and then proceeded to grab another bottle of beer.

"Right, let's just continue celebrating Taiga!" He held the bottle in front of Taiga in manner that was urging him to tap it with his own bottle. "Here's to you finally getting drafted," he said with a cheery smile on his lips before he inhaled and added a soft, "And here's to the ones we want, but we can't have."

Taiga softly chuckled at that, even though those words echoed fiercely in his ears and his heart. "Yeah, cheers to that."

They then proceeded to drown themselves in alcohol all throughout the night.

Nothing much happened after that, or at least nothing they could remember, and even though they couldn't remember that bar where they had that conversation at, Taiga remembers the words they exchanged, all too well in fact, and the thoughts that swirled through his mind that night.

Thoughts about Aomine.

About the desperation he felt when he heard Ryouta's words.

_"It's terrifying, thinking you might not get over that someone"_

The thought filled him with dread, and it was after that night, after _that_ conversation, when Taiga decided to do everything he can to get over it, to let go; _move on_.

Years later, he thought he had been successful, but then again, he'd always really known some things just don't go the way he wants them to.

* * *

"Huh?"

Taiga would've laughed, had it been under a different circumstance, because Aomine looks like he just swallowed his own foot, accidentally.

The look of confusion and surprise in his face is very evident with the way his eyebrows are arched, and the way his mouth is hanging open - and really, it would come as no surprise if a bee or five can fit in there with how he was gaping like he just broke his jaw.

Taiga stands there, wondering if he just said something he shouldn't have. His palms are starting to sweat, the barely audible clinking of the kitchen utensils seem to be in sync with the rapid and agitating beating of his heart, as he realizes that Aomine has never actually, personally, told him that specific information.

_Is he perhaps confused and surprised that I know about it?_

He open his mouth to try and explain, or say something, _anything_, to stop Aomine from looking at him like he'd just grown ten heads. But before he can get a word out, Aomine has spoken again, his voice as confused as his expression.

"What are you saying? Who told you I got married?"

Taiga hesitates for a moment, thinking carefully, cautiously, for the right words to say. "Uh, well Kise told me 2 years ago that you were going to get married." He decides to say. "I mean, you know how Kise is, he's a bit of a blabbermouth- " _Sorry, Ryouta_ \- he mentally grimaces because he can't think of any other excuse, and that one is closer to the truth, or is the truth, just not all of it "-and he sticks to people like gum, so you can't really stop him from sending updates through e-mails and-" He knows he sounds defensive, and really he would've went on and on had Aomine not interrupted his monologue.

"I get it, I get it." Aomine says, and his brows are now scrunched together tightly. "Kise told you I _was_ getting married, but who told you I _got_ married?"

He thinks about it for a moment before he answers with a good amount of hesitation. "Uh, no one? I mean, that was 2 years ago, so I just, uh assumed that you are m-married now. I mean, 2 years, is uh, uh yeah, that." He has no idea what he's saying, and he just really wants to get the conversation over because his heart feels like it's breaking his ribcage. It's unbearable how the topic is stretched into minutes he never thought he had to endure, explaining about something he's avoided to talk about for a long time.

Aomine just looks at him like he wants to laugh and wants to smash his head on the table at the same time.

"You're still such an idiot, Kagami." Aomine says while rolling his eyes and he takes his left hand out from under the table and waves it to his face.

"Were you blind when we met the other week? Did you not see that I was _not_ wearing a ring?"

Now it's Taiga's turn to gape, and his heart is probably bouncing around in his body because he's sure he feels it _every-fucking-where_.

He _finally_ flicks his eyes to Aomine's hand and zeroes in on his ring finger, and _indeed_, no ring is on it. He feels relief flooding through him like crashing waves, and he has to mentally slap himself because he isn't supposed to feel relieved. He isn't supposed to feel any hope, no matter how little.

"So, you're divorced?" He asks instead - promptly letting the subtle sarcasm and insult slide, because he's definitely not about to say that the last time they met, he was doing his best to avoid looking at his hand. 

Aomine groans and rubs his palm on his face, looking both frustrated and amused, when he peeks at Taiga's face. "Holy fuck, Bakagami! No, I'm not divorced. I wasn't even married in the first place!"

He doesn't know what expression he has on his face when he heard that, because Aomine then looks at him, the creases on his forehead slowly disappearing - along with the amusement in his eyes, and there's something in those blue eyes that seem to bore into his very soul. It makes him uncomfortable queasy.

He opens his mouth to say something, but Aomine beats him to it again.

"You don't have to look like that. It happened a while back so it's no big deal now." Aomine says, but there's something in his voice and expression that says differently. He's looking away from him, staring at the restaurant's glass windows with a wistful look, and something, _something_ akin to regret. There's no trace of the smile he wore just a while ago and it makes Taiga bite his lips because he wants to reach out, wants to ask _what happened?_, wants to say _I'm still here for you_, but he keeps his mouth shut because really, he isn't sure if he's still allowed to do those things, if he deserves to ask and say those things.

So he continues standing there, not knowing what to say or do, feeling out of place in his own restaurant.

Not even a few seconds pass by when Matsuri hollers from somewhere.

"Boss! We're already done with all the cleaning. It's getting pretty late, we should close up."

It jolts Taiga out of his awkward reverie - and he mentally heaves a thankful sigh for the distraction. He turns his head and sees all of his staff on the cashier's counter, obviously waiting while idly chatting with each other and checking their phones.

His face heats up at the realization that he's been too absorbed with his conversation with Aomine that he completely forgot the time.

"Uh, yeah. You guys can go home now, thanks for cleaning up. I'll stay and close up." He says sheepishly before adding, "Thanks for your hardwork."

"Okay boss. Thanks for your hardwork!" Matsuri was the first to answer.

"Bye bye boss~" Kitani follows and winks at him before adding another chirpy, "Thanks for your hard work~" which honestly makes Taiga cringe because he's definitely Ryouta 2.0 or 0.1, or something.

Naruse and Sasaki, however, just nod at him and softly mutter the pleasantries before they too, walk towards the door. Right before Naruse exited the door though, Taiga notices her looking at him, and then flicking her eyes at somewhere from behind him with a curious look. Taiga turns his head a little to get a look at what she was looking at when his eyes meet blue ones - again, and realization dawns on him, along with the thoughts _shit I forgot to introduce them_ and _oh crap, right Aomine is still here._

"You should go too." He says without looking at the man behind him, trying to hide how flustered he is actually feeling at the undeniable fact that he is now alone with Aomine.

He shuffles towards the door leading to his small office, so he can take care of other things before going home. He's halfway through the door when he hears footsteps following him. He turns around again, to say, "Why are you still following me? I told you to go home, it's late."

Aomie looks at him with a bored look, his hands lazily stuffed inside his pockets - and now that Taiga looks at him, _really_ _looks_ at him, he realizes Aomine must've grown an inch or three in the ten years he hasn't seen him, because Taiga _did, _but the blue-haired man still looks a bit taller than him. He appears to be leaner too compared to when they were in high school. His tanned complexion is at least a shade lighter than what he remembers, the casual black jeans and slightly loose black shirt he's wearing makes him look more striking than any man he'd ever laid eyes on.

There's just something about this man, something in the air he brings with him, that makes people notice him.

Aomine seems to have matured well - not just physically; he looks more composed than he'd ever seen him - but then again, it was 10 years ago when he last saw him, (excluding the previous week), and he admits it's more than enough time for even someone like Aomine to grow up. But, the grace and the allure that Taiga had once admired all those years ago - and probably still does - are still there, ever present, cloaking every part of the blue-haired man.

It makes his heart beat faster, and something in his toes tingle, as his eyes take all of the changes in.

10 years, and Aomine still manages to take his breath away.

"Are you done checking me out?"

Taiga blinks his eyes and locks gazes with a now smirking Aomine. The smug look on the other's face, makes him forget his previous musings, and he frowns when the words sink in.

"I- I w-wasnt checking you out, you bastard!" He stammers indignantly, or he tries to - the stammer is there, but the indignation is lost somewhere between his embarrasment and his denial.

"You were definitely checking me out." Aomine insists, his tone playful.

Taiga clicks his tongue and scrunches his nose in an attempt to make the next words more believable. "I was only wondering why you'd become uglier than you already were." It still sounds like a lie.

Aomine's smirk gets wider. "Oho, I'll have you know that people always praise me for my good looks." The waggling of the eyebrows is making him feel lots of things, one of them being the urge to sock the living daylights out of the smug bastard.

"Well, they're either blind, or stupid. Or probably both." _I'm probably both_, he mentally grimaces.

It's Aomine's turn to click his tongue and takes a step closer to Taiga. "You're such a liar, Bakagami. Just admit that you miss my handsome face."

_Yeah, I miss you, you damn bastard! _He almost yells out, but he bites his tongue, because he knows that if he says it now, he won't be able to hide the emotions behind it. And he doesn't want to repeat what he ran away from, 10 years ago. He wants to start over, but this time, he wants to start over as the friend that he was or is supposed to be. He wants to take a step forward and leave all those emotions that held him down, that tore them apart all those years ago, behind.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He decides to say, to brush the topic off. "So? What are you still doing here?"

Aomine raises his perfectly-shaped eyebrows. "What do you mean what am I still doing here? I'm here to wait for you." He says it like it should be obvious, but Taiga can't help but give him an incredulous look.

"What do you mean to wait for me? Why would you wait for me? Don't you have to go home? I already told you it's late!" This time, the indignation is back with full force.

But Aomine just shrugs and looks at Taiga with a look that says, _so_?

He's pretty sure that the annoyance is very visible on his face, but Aomine just looks at him with an amused expression, like he's having the time of his life by deliberatly snipping Taiga's thread of patience.

"Fine! Whatever, suit yourself. Thank you for reminding me about your _oh so great _personality." He says in resignation and exasperation before turning his back, and opening the door with more force than absolutely necessary, and stumping his feet like a petulant child.

"What's wrong with waiting for you? We haven't seen each other in a long time, so it's only natural that I'd want to spend more time with you."

Taiga's steps towards the table falter a bit when he hears those words from Aomine's mouth. He isn't sure what happened to Aomine during the 10 years that they haven't seen each other, but this Aomine now, this Aomine is not who he expected to come out from those 10 years. His heart isn't ready for this Aomine. He hopes with all his heart that he won't waver.

"When did you turn into such a drama queen?" He says in hopes of easing his troubled heart with a sarcastic joke.

"Just saying the truth, and beside 's not like I have a curfew." Aomine says with a lazy drawl, like what he said isn't such a big deal, although Taiga is feeling otherwise.

He's sure he is palpitating and he's also very sure it's not because of the coffee he drank that morning.

He doesn't look at Aomine for him to know that the tanned man has chosen to slump himself on the small sofa right in front of his small work table. The sofa creaks under the man's weight, followed by a sigh.

Taiga decides to sit on the chair to check the papers on the table, and just let Aomine be. He's pretty sure he can't convince him to change his mind anyway, and it's not like he is totally against the idea of having Aomine there, waiting for him.

"How long before you finish?" He hears Aomine ask, and Taiga looks up from the paper he was going through.

"Probably another 30 minutes or so." He answers, because he's given up pretending that the situation annoys him. It surprises him though, how Aomine managed to be so casual about this. It's like the ten years between them has never even happened.

"Okay. I'll take a nap. Just wake me up when you're done."

He sees Aomine stretching and trying to fit himself in that small sofa. He looks ridiculous in that fetus pose of his, but Taiga doesn't say anything. He just hums in response and promptly turns his attention back to the papers stacked on his table. He skims through them - taking his attention away from Aomine because he know he needs the distraction. He signs those that need to be signed, and read everything else that seems important. It took him more than 30 minutes to finish going through the papers, but it's still less than the time he normally took.

After he is done, he arches his back to relieve his back of the stiffness, the chair's headrest reclining a little with the weight, and stretches his limbs. He groans in satisfaction when he hears the soft cracks, before glancing at the lump of body on the sofa just a few inches away from where he is sitting.

He stands up and saunters over to the sofa, his eyes fixed on the man peacefully sleeping on it, and smiling to himself when he hears the soft snores.

Seeing Aomine like that, brings him back to those days, when Aomine slept over almost all the time in his high school apartment, taking the guest room for himself, and sometimes just flopping down the sofa, while Taiga was cooking, and just snoring the day away.

Taiga loved those days, even when he locked the memories of those days away, in hopes of running away from whatever emotions they make them feel whenever he remembered them. But he loved those days all the same, and looking at Aomine's sleeping face right now reminds Taiga of how much happiness those days had brought him.

The pain is still there, there is no use in denying how much pain those memories still give him, but there's also no denying how much those moments made him happy. He supposes he just needs to embrace both emotions now and understand that accepting them is probably a lot better than running away from them - he already knows that running away does not work, and has only served to break the bond he once had with one of the most important people in his life.

He crouches down beside the sofa and allows himself to gaze at the sleeping face of the man he used to call his only rival.

Aomine sleeps like he's still trying to have a fight with someone; his brows are furrowed, and his lips are pressed in a thin line.

Taiga wants to touch those brows and smoothen the creases between them, wants to stroke those blue locks tenderly... but he doesn't. He wills himself not to do so, because he's not sure if touching Aomine, no matter how chaste the touch, is something he can forgive himself for, if the same thing happens again. He's not sure if it's something Aomine can forgive him for this time.

He remembers Aomine's words a while ago, about him not being married, about him never being married, and the expression he wore right after. The confirmation made Taiga feel a little stupid, because for 2 years, he had been agonizing over his own assumptions, and even though, right at that moment, he feels like a thorn has been removed from his chest, he knows he should not allow himself to feel _more_. He has to draw a line this time, if he wants make amends, if he wants them to go back to what they used to be, to how they are supposed to be.

So he just sits there, suppressing every desire in his body to feel even just the tip of an eyelash, before he murmurs softly, "Daiki."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to continue this journey with you. I really wish the inspiration would not leave me.  
🥂


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga's a little scared of what's happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos, seriously, I appreciate it. I wanted to bang my head a few times because my mind is having a vacation, but your comments are enough to call it home.
> 
> Okay, that was weird. hoho
> 
> I hope you still enjoy this chapter because I actually wrote while I was half-asleep and desperate to finish a chapter. 
> 
> I'm hoping to finish at least 3 chapters this week - if I can. Hoho.

The only instance Taiga remembers ever having a fever was after Momoi’s birthday party at his apartment, back when he was in high school - he wasn't sure why, but after Kuroko's birthday party at his place, it somehow became customary for all the Generation of Miracles to spend their birthday parties there, including Momoi, much to Taiga's distress.

He’d always been proud of his health, always been certain he’d never get sick no matter what, but he’d been proven wrong by a week of being sleep-deprived, and a glass - _or two -_ of alcohol that Alex left on his kitchen cupboards.

Taiga isn’t exactly sure how it happened anymore – one moment he and Aomine were having a competition about who would be able to stuff their mouths with the largest amount of meatballs, then seeing Takao and Ryouta (who was once just _Kise_ to him) grinning widely as they sauntered over to the group with 4 bottles of sake. The next thing he knew was waking up with a throbbing head, a parched mouth, and groaning like a starved lion; his limbs felt like jelly and he was quivering with how hot his insides felt and how cold his feet and hands were.

He blinked his eyes, squinting a little, realizing he was in his bed, covered with blankets - a damp towel on his forehead.

"Taiga?" He heard a familiar voice. It was familiar, but it was spoken in an almost hushed tone that he thought he heard wrong.

He was feeling so dizzy that he found it hard to turn his head to locate where the voice came from.

"D-Daiki?" He croaked out with great difficulty, feeling like sands were scratching his throat.

He heard shuffling, and then a weight settled on his side, making the bed dip a little lower. "Yeah. Your fever's really high, and you haven't eaten yet. I tried making porridge. Would you want to eat some?"

The voice sounded soft, almost affectionate, that it made Taiga's heart pound faster. Was he dreaming? He'd never really heard him use that tone on him before, it sounded familiar, yet also very foreign. And also, _he made porridge?_ The fever must've gotten to him badly, because surely, he was hearing things.

"Y-you made porridge?" He asked, trying to sound teasing, but it came out as another croak. _Damn it_, his throat is killing him.

He heard an embarrassed grunt and a soft_ 'so what?'_ before he felt a hand pressed gently to his cheeks. Taiga unconciously leaned in to the touch and let out a satisfied hum when he felt the cool skin pressed against his own burning one. He couldn't see what the other man's expression was, because it was a little dark - the only light illuminating the room was the light from the hallway. The door must've been left ajar, and the gesture touched him somehow, specially coming from someone Taiga had never expected to be considerate in any situation -- No, that was a lie. Lately, he'd been seeing a lot of things from his blue-haired rival-slash-friend(?) that surprised him and led him to feel certain _feelings_. It confused him, worried him, which was why he'd lost a lot of sleep the past few weeks mulling over his predicament.

"Your temp's gotten lower. You have to eat even a little so you can drink the medicine."

The obvious concern in the voice made Taiga nod his head, he wasn't sure if it was the fever, but there was an overwhelming warmth in his chest that made his toes tingle.

Aomine came back with a tray - a bowl of porridge and a glass of water on it. Taiga adjusted his eyes in the dark, blinking slowly as he refocused his gaze on the tanned man. His eyes were still a little glassy, but he could clearly make out the crease on the other's forehead, and the bags under his eyes. He looked exhausted.

"How long have I been out?" Taiga had to ask.

Aomine turned his gaze on him once he set the tray down on Taiga's study table. "More than a day."

"I see." He wanted to ask him if he stayed with him all throughout that, but Aomine spoke again.

"Satsuki's sleeping on the guest room, and Tetsu's on the couch."

His eyes flicked down the floor and saw a futon was laid out there, and Taiga felt that warmth in his heart again, it almost felt painful, squeezing his heart in a way that made him more dizzy and slightly out of breath.

He nodded at the other man, not trusting his voice, before he tried sitting up, his quivering palms pressed firmly on his bed for support. Aomine immediately came to his aid and helped him rest his back on the headboard.

It was a little embarrassing at first, how Aomine insisted on spoon feeding him, but Taiga's hands were trembling, so he supposed he had no other choice but to accept the gesture. He'd never been that sick before, so everything that Aomine was doing was making him uncomfortable, but there was also a pleasant fluttering in his stomach everytime he was reminded that Aomine was doing all of that for him.

"How is it?" He heard Aomine ask, sounding uncertain.

Taiga looked at him and realized he was talking about the porridge. "It's good." He replied and tried his best to smile appreciatively. It was true, the porridge tasted better than he expected. He wonders how Aomine managed to make something to make something that was actually edible. He hopd his kitchen was still in one piece.

Heard a relieved sigh and really, Taiga had to smile wider because despite feeling like he'd been ran over by a truck, he also felt giddy. It was a pleasant feeling, and hearing Aomine talking to him without any hint of teasing or provocation - no matter how friendly, and then making him _fucking_ porridge, was a nice change. Taiga wanted to take advantage of that change, even for just a little while.

After eating and drinking the medicine, Taiga was feeling a little better, but it seemed like his sleep-deprived body was still craving the rest it should've been given. Aomine must've noticed because he was trying to tuck Taiga in, ushering him to lay down once again.

"Sleep."

Taiga didn't protest and instead allowed Aomine to pull the blanket over him. He watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Aomine changed the towel on his forehead.

"Thank you, Ahomine." He couldn't help but whisper.

Aomine was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Just get better soon, dumbass. And here I thought idiots don't get sick." There was teasing in his voice, but Taiga picked up on the worry nonetheless.

"You're the dumbass, dumbass." He bit back, but he knew he was smiling. He closed his eyes and let Aomine's prescence lull his exhausted mind and body to sleep.

He was stirred awake by something warm on his face, but he wasn't fully awake yet to figure out what it was, wasn't even sure if he was awake or if he was dreaming. His mind was hazy, his eyes heavy and refused to open, but he tried blinking slowly. He couldn't see anything, and wondered if he really was dreaming. The warmth was no longer there, but he felt something shift on the bed before a weight was lifted off just beside him. Taiga wanted to chase that warmth, to tell it to stay, and in his hazy desperation, he opened his mouth and let the words roll off his tongue.

"I like you."

The next morning, Taiga woke up, alone; the only proof that he wasn't dreaming, was the futon that was still laid out next to his bed and the still-damp towel that was still on his forehead, and as Taiga remembered what he'd said, he knew things would never be the same again.

Ever.

* * *

Taiga has forgotten how persistent Aomine can be when it comes to things he wants to do. Things like pester him or piss him off. For someone who'd forgotten to (or perhaps didn't really want to?) send him a message or call him like he'd promised, Aomine seemed pretty adamant on latching on to Taiga's life now.

Right after that encounter they had at Taiga's restaurant, Aomine had insisted on going to his house, and then demanding to be fed because - _'I waited for you so it's only natural for you to thank me by feeding me'_ \- which Taiga responded with an indignant _'You were the one who wanted to wait even when I told you to go home, you asshat!'_ Aomine, _the smug bastard_, just shrugged and said a nonchalant _'Eh, semantics'._ And Taiga had to ask all his ancestors to give him the patience he so needed, because he was really thinking about throwing Aomine off his balcony.

The following days after that, Aomine kept coming back to his restaurant, and asking for him to serve him himself. If there were no other people there, Taiga had the feeling he probably already stabbed him with the chopsticks he was holding.

And now, four days later, during Taiga's day off, Aomine is standing there at his doorway, looking as bored as he always does, holding a sports bag on one hand and something that looks like ice cream on the other.

Taiga blinks stupidly at Aomine, once, twice, _thrice_, before he frowns.

"What are you doing here?" He growls out.

Aomine rolls his eyes at him and shakes the plastic he was holding in front of his face. "What do you think?"

He swats it away and huffs an annoyed breath. He has a lot of things he wants to say, but he's utterly exhausted, and he's been feeling under the weather ever since he woke up, so he just grunts and lets Aomine inside.

"I regret the day I let you know where I live."

"Don't pretend like you don't like my prescence." Aomine replies with an amused tone. Taiga just answers him with a scoff and an unimpressed glare.

He scans the house like he's taking a tour, and it's making Taiga uncomfortable.

Having Aomine in his house like this, nonchalantly checking his place out, feels so much like that first time Aomine set foot on his apartment back in high school.

"Why are you living in such a huge place alone, you rich bastard? You even have three bedrooms...wait-" Aomine turns to look at him, "Are you actually the one who's married?"

He snorts and goes to his kitchen counter to prepare some snacks. "Don't be an idiot. My father bought it. Probably thought it was better to have more rooms, just in case-" he stops and feels a pang in his chest. He shrugs to try to will the feeling away before he speaks again. "Hey, do you want to eat Dorayaki?"

Aomine doesn't answer him, so he turns around to see what the other man is doing, and is caught off guard when he sees Aomine looking at him with a thoughtful look on his face. There's a slight crease on his forehead, and his lips are pressed together in a thin line, looking almost like he was holding himself back from saying something.

But then Aomine shrugs and saunters over to the sofa before he answers him.

"Yeah, Dorayaki's fine. Also, I'm staying the night."

Aomine says it so nonchalantly that it almost sounds like he is simply saying he just ate breakfast.

"Wha-... What?!!" He yells out. "What are you saying?!" He's not sure if he's losing his mind, or it's Aomine who's losing his mind.

Taiga isn't sure what's happening, he's not sure what Aomine's doing these past few days. It's making him nervous, and restless, and a little _scared_. He's not prepared for all of this. He isn't prepared for things to go this way. All he wants is to slowly take a few steps to mend the relationship he once had with him, to fix their friendship using a pace he's comfortable with. Aomine is charging on like nothing's happened, like those words weren't said between them.

_'I'm sorry'_

_'Yeah'_

Sure it's been ten years, but it's ten years they didn't spend as friends. It's ten years that they spent apart. Why is Aomine acting like those ten years didn't even happen? Like that conversation in the airport, so long ago, never even happened. Sure, they'd talked again, two years ago, but then again, Taiga's sure that wasn't enough to mend what had been broken. And he's sure what happened after that was enough to dampen their already fragile friendship even more. So why? Why, why? _Why am I so scared of this?_

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Bakagami."

"What makes you think I'd let you sleep here, asshat?! This is my house."

He sees Aomine shrug again, and the sides of his lips lift up in a smirk. "Well, you just have to drag me out, then. But you know, I'll make a fuss outside and show the people downstairs my badge."

Taiga eyes him. "You wouldn't"

"I would."

"That's abuse of authority!" He groans in annoyance.

"So, it's decided then." Aomine's smirk gets wider and Taiga is seriously considering throwing him off the balcony for real, if only it isn't a crime killing an officer of the law, no matter how much of an asshat said officer is.

"Why are you even doing this?! Don't you have a job?"

"It's my day off, and I'm bored."

Aomine's looking at him again like he wants to say something else, and then apparently decides against it, _again_, because he looks away and rummages through his sports bag instead.

Taiga feels that itch in his throat, and he wants to ask_ 'What the fuck do you want to say?' _but he shuts his mouth.

One thing different about Aomine pestering him, is that he doesn't really ask questions, or at least not the ones Taiga's deathly afraid he'd ask about. Not about two years ago, not about what happened between the eight years before that, _not even about basketball_, and Taiga's scared that if he asks about what Aomine wants to say, he'd start asking too. So he shuts his mouth and resigns himself to his fate of enduring Aomine's prescence for the whole day and night.

The hours passed in a blur, with Aomine being there, continuously causing him a headache and an aching belly. They bicker all throughout the day, just like they always did when they were younger, and it almost felt too natural for Taiga to laugh in between their banters, even though he was so against Aomine staying there just that morning. He supposes it isn't too bad, having Aomine there.

But then, comes night, and Taiga's alone in his bed while Aomine is in one of the guest rooms, probably already snoring the night away. He feels the familiar discomfort, creeping slowly to every nerve in his body.

Lately, he's been losing sleep, again, because of all those nightmares. He knows why they're haunting them more persistently now. It'll be three years soon, and Taiga's mind kept bringing him back to the time when it happened; to the month and the day. He remembers -

_Stop it, stop it, stop it! _He doesn't want to think about it._  
_

He wants to talk to Ryouta, but he hasn't been replying to his messages or answering his calls for two weeks now - it's a little worrying, but he surmises that maybe he's just busy, because this isn't really the first time it happened. Shougo's away for a job too, and he won't be back for another month, so Taiga's stuck with himself. He can't talk to anyone else. He can't worry his father, or Alex anymore. They've both been through enough. And no one else knows, apart from them, Taiga didn't let anyone else know. Not Kuroko, not even Tatsuya.

So Taiga lays there on his bed, dreading for sleep to take over, dreading for that darkness to swallow him, for those nightmares to wake him up - to remind him of _that time_.

But his exhaustion lulls him to sleep - he always feel exhausted, and eventhough he doesn't want to sleep, he knows he can't escape it.

He feels his eyes getting heavier and heavier and before he knows it, sleep has caught up to him.

...

Taiga wakes up to his own scream. His throat feels sore and he's shaking all over. His heart is beating rapidly, and he's soaked with sweat. He feels that familiar ache, like he's being suffocated and he can't breathe. The ache slowly travels from his chest, to his knee, to _that knee,_ and Taiga reflexively grips it as he sits up, heaving. He wants to claw at it, to make it bleed, because he wants the pain from that to overcome that ache, that ache that he can't scratch; the ache that's more painful to bear.

Taiga remembers the nightmare and he wants to scream again. He grips his knee some more and feels his nails dig into the skin.

"Kagami?"

Taiga whips his head towards his bedroom door, which was now open; the hallway light showing the tall man standing there with furrowed brows.

"You okay? I heard screaming, so I thought I'd check." The worry in his voice is unmistakable and it twists Taiga's inside a little more.

He wants to say he's okay, that he doesn't need to worry, that he needs to _'leave me the fuck alone'._

But Taiga can't find his voice, he's heaving so much, and he feels like he's choking. He hangs his head down and tightens his grip on his knees. He wants to shout. He wants to shout. He wants to shout for that ache to _just fucking stop, stop!_

"Hey." He feels a hand on his shoulder and it makes him flinch. "You okay?"

Taiga doesn't answer because he doesn't think he can. He's still trembling and he doesn't want Aomine to notice. But he does-

"Kagami? Shit, why are you shaking?" He feels Aomine's weight on the bed before a hand is pressed on either side of his cheeks and forces his face to look up. He sees the worry and panic in Aomine's eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" He says it in a hushed tone that it almost seems like he's talking to a child. Taiga feels like a child.

He doesn't want Aomine to see him like this - doesn't want him to know how pathetic Taiga looks whenever this happens but he can't will himself to move away from those hands, _from that warmth._

Aomine scoots closer and holds the hand that's gripping his knee. "Hey let go, otherwise you'll scratch yourself." Aomine says as he gently pries his hand from his knee. Taiga obediently complies. He feels weak all of a sudden, and so tired, so so tired.

"Shit, you're still shaking. C'mere."

He feels Aomine's arm on his neck, feels himself being gently pulled towards his chest. "Breathe in, breathe out, slowly, okay?" Aomine says as he presses him closer to his body, letting him feel his slow, steady breathing.

Taiga wants to protest, wants to kick up a fuss because this isn't right. This isn't supposed to be happening. But the worry in Aomine's voice and the warmth of his body is bringing Taiga's whole being some comfort that he desperately needs.

"I'm here, I'm just right here." Aomine keeps murmuring as he keeps rubbing light, slow circles on Taiga's back while his other hand is soothingly rubbing his head. Taiga feels himself relaxing to the gesture. 

When he stops heaving and shaking, and the ache on every part of his body is ebbing away, he feels Aomine's hand on his cheek as his thumb gently caresses his cheeckbone, and then his eyebrow. "You feeling better?"

Taiga finds himself nodding meekly and hears Aomine breathe a sigh of relief. Aomine then shifts and pulls himself away a little, creating a distance between them that Taiga wants to close again, but he doesn't move. He's feeling too disoriented with everything that's happened. Aomine's hands on his shoulders moves toward his back and he feels him guiding him down the mattress.

It makes Taiga stiffen and he grabs one arm in panic. "No." He doesn't want to go back to sleep. He knows that if he does, he'll have that nightmare again.

Aomine's eyes soften, and Taiga's sure it's the first time he'd seen that expression on his face. "Don't worry. I'll just go get you a glass of water, and then I'll come back and stay here with you, okay?"

He isn't sure why he did what he did, but his hold on Aomine's arm tightens with the thought of him leaving him there, even if it's only for a while. Aomine must've realized what that implied, because he does not get away from Taiga.

"Okay, okay." Aomine says softly as he brushes some of Taiga's hair away from his forehead. "I'll just stay here, but you need to lie down and sleep. You've been looking too pale lately. You need your rest, okay?"

He feels his hand tremble at the mention of sleep, but Aomine keeps assuring him that he'll stay with him and Taiga doesn't know why, but he feels like he's safe with Aomine in there, holding him, like he knows the nightmares won't get to him because Aomine's there. So he relents and allows himself to be settled on his bed. Aomine follows suit and lies down beside him, and it should've been weird, or uncomfortable for Taiga, but he tucks all those thoughts away, for now, because Aomine's warmth is making him feel safe, and secured.

Aomine tugs at his arm and pulls him closer so that his head settles between the crook of the tanned man's neck, and the other's chin settles above his head. "Sleep."

He inhales that comforting scent that's draping every part of him, and he thinks he felt warm lips on his forehead before he drifted off to sleep.

...

Taiga is woken up by something bright and warm, and as he slowly opens his eyes, he realizes it's already well past morning. He blinks in confusion.

_How long was I asleep? I've never slept this long before._

He stands up, slowly, groggily, and groans when he feels a sting on his knee. _I probably scratched it again,_ he thinks as he drags his own body towards the kitchen.

He's halfway there when he sees a familiar figure hurrying towards the genkan. Taiga makes a startled noise that makes the man turn to look at him.

"Oh, you awake? How was your sleep?" Aomine asks nonchalantly, like he just didn't surprise the fuck out of Taiga.

Taiga opens his mouth to respond but then he hears a phone ringing.

"Shit!" He hears Aomine say. "I'm late." But he still strides over to Taiga, and Taiga almost yelped when Aomine puts a hand on his forehead.

The blue-haired man sighs and cups his cheeks, and Taiga is too shocked to react.

"You should get some more sleep. I'll come back later yeah? I have to go to work. Take it easy while I'm gone." Aomine says with a slight frown on his face, but then it turns into a soft smile, right before he presses a gentle kiss on Taiga's temple. "I'm going." He says as he hurriedly walks away, puts on his shoes, and proceeds to walk out the door like he didn't just do the most ridiculous thing - while Taiga stands there, shellshocked as fuck.

_What the fuck just happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aomine, you will be the death of Kagami, the poor poor oblivious soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine Daiki is unpredictable and Kagami Taiga is worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kise reappears here, and Midorima also makes an appearance while Kagami is still confused.
> 
> I've been sleep-deprived like Kagami, and I only ever have time to write before I sleep and a few minutes after I wake up, so there will definitely be mistakes here and there. I apologize in advance. But I'll try to edit when I have time.
> 
> Please let me know what you think of the story so far. Should I stop while we still aren't buried too deep with the story?
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! It feeds my hunger for inspiration. <3 love you guys

Aomine has always been unpredictable. It's something that Taiga has always known, but maybe, he's out of practice or perhaps hasn't been exposed to said unpredictability for far too long that he has forgotten about it, and now he can do nothing else but stand there, in the hallway of his own home, mouth agape, and eyes wide as saucers. His hand unconsciously moves up, ever so slowly, to touch that temple that had had warm lips pressed to it, just a while ago.

_Seriously, what just happened?_

Taiga wonders if he's dreaming, or perhaps losing his mind. Did the nightmares messed his head up too much for his mind to come up with such ridiculous dreams?

He tries pinching his cheeks. It hurts, _which means_ \- It's real. He isn't dreaming. So maybe he _is_ losing his damn mind.

He absently walks toward his living room, and slumping on the couch there, trying to reel in his sanity that seems to be submerged somewhere underneath his confusion and shock. He shakes his head to snap himself out of his initial shock, and blinks, and blinks, _and blinks_.

He focuses on trying to remember what happened for things to lead to _that strange occurence_. He scrunches his eyebrows as flashes of scenes emerge on his mind. Scenes of him waking up from his dream, of Aomine inside his bedroom trying to calm him down, him clutching on Aomine like his life depended on him, and then of Aomine tucking him in, _holding him_, gently, _securely_, as he fell into a deep slumber.

Taiga feels his neck, his ears, his cheeks, _every fucking part_ of his body, flare up at the memory, in embarassment and mortification.

_Holy fucking fuck!_

Taiga groans as he brings his face into his palms, head hanging low, his elbows on his thighs as he mentally kicks himself to oblivion.

_"Shit, shit, shit! Why did I fucking do that embarassing shit. Uggghh!" _Taiga laments loudly, frustrated beyond belief at his own stupidity - his own weakness. He hears himself make a pathetic sound as images of last night's event flash on his mind again.

So much for not touching Aomine, when he'd even clung to him like a starved leech. Like someone in pain trying to latch onto something that eases the pain, eases the hunger for relief.

What a pathetic sight he must've been.

Taiga admits, that even before, there's always been something about Aomine's prescence, or just about Aomine himself that soothes Taiga, in a way that no one else does, or no one else can. Taiga's always known that; he's always been aware that with Aomine, he becomes vulnerable, open, _honest_, like he can't help but rip the bandage off from his wound to show him how much it hurts deep inside, how much it fucking pains him to pretend he's okay. With Aomine, he feels like he doesn't have to pretend. But despite that, Taiga doesn't really want to burden Aomine with his baggages. He doesn't want Aomine to see him look so weak, so _pathetic_, no matter how much he wants to burry himself in Aomine's warmth.

He doesn't deserved to be comforted. He doesn't want to be comforted. He shouldn't want to. He shouldn't. Not after everything that happened between them. Taiga's shortcomings are far too big for Aomine's understanding, and he's too scared for Aomine's forgiveness, for his _obvious_ consideration, because _he knows_, he knows it'll do things to him - it's doing things to him, to his heart, to his _resolve_. He doesn't want to mess things up again.

He's always only been thinking about himself, always running away, always leaving things behind. He doesn't want to do those things again. He wants to stay, this time. Wants to keep those that deserve to be kept, those that he should've held on tight to. And his friends have been too generous, Aomine has been far too generous to let him in his life again, no questions asked, no accussations.

Aomine's right, he pretends to be annoyed with his prescence, when in reality, he's just really scared he'll mess _this_, this irreplaceable relationship they have, again, just because he has certain lingering emotions.

Taiga groans again. He can't believe himself. He's always known Aomine's stubborn and unpredictable, and can also be quite considerate, _caring_ even, so he should've been the one to put the distance between them or control himself some more, while he isn't ready yet, while his emotions are still muddled, while he isn't certain that he won't mess them up again.

But Aomine's randomness really went beyond Taiga's expectations this time. It's confusing the hell out of him, catching him off guard that he couldn't even back away from it.

He releases a shaky breath before he wills himself to stand up. He needs to put himself together. He needs to strengthen his resolve if he doesn't want to slip up again.

Taiga saunters over to his kitchen to fix himself some breakfast when he notices his food cover on his dining table. There's a note stuck to it and Taiga picks it up to read it, and then promptly feels his heart lurch to his throat when he sees what is written in that piece of paper.

_Made some food so you don't have to cook. It's just miso soup and some salted salmon so don't expect anything fancy, you American. Eat well and take a lot of rest or I'll choke your stubborn ass till you faint later._

_ P. S. I know, I'm amazing._

\- _Daiki_

Taiga's breath hitches and he can feel the heat, so much fucking heat, spreading to his face again as he groans exasperatedly.

_Fucking stupid Ahomine and his fucking stupid miso soup and fucking salted salmon..._

_ When did he even know how to cook?_

He sighs and rubs his palm on his face to hide his reddening cheeks, even though no one else is there with him.

Taiga's sure this will be a long, difficult battle for him.

* * *

Taiga has forgotten about his nightmare - and even his previous musings about Aomine, as he busies himself with cleaning his place.

He's also been thinking about going to that court he's been frequenting to play some basketball to release some of his pent-up frustrations that has been piling up lately. Perhaps Aomine is right, he does need that sleep, but proper, undisturbed sleep has been eluding him as of late, so he doesn't think it's an option for him right now. So he thinks he'll just sweat it all out, to ease his emotional and mental stress.

Now that he knows he can play again - as long has he doesn't overdo it, he might as well take advantage of it, whenever he can. It isn't the same anymore, but it'll do, for now, to distract him, and exhaust him enough to help ease the tensions knotting within him.

He takes a bath after cleaning and is already preparing the things he deems he'll be needing when he hears his phone ring.

He scrunches his eyebrows when he sees it's an unregistered number and hesitantly picks it up before he swipes the answer button.

"Hello?"

There's a lot of people talking in the background on the other end of the line and then someone - a woman's voice, speaks with a clear, firm voice.

"Is this Kagami Taiga-san?"

"Uh, yes?" Taiga responds, confused. "Who is this?" He asks gruffly.

"This is Aoyama Himari from XX Hospital. I just called to inform you that Kise Ryouta-san has been admitted here about an hour ago. If you can kindly come here to-"

"Wait, what?!" Taiga cuts in panic. 

Ryouta's been admitted in the hospital? He's in Tokyo?

"What happened?!" He asks, his voice raised in worry. He feels his throat closing up as he hurriedly fumbles for his keys, his wallet, his shirt, ready to bolt out and go to where the blonde is any moment. "Is he okay?!"

The woman on the other end seems unfazed by Taiga's loud voice, and she answers in a calm tone. "Yes. He's sleeping at the moment. He only has minor cuts and bruises and a slight sprain on his right hand, but other than that he's fine Kagami-san. You don't have to worry."

Taiga feels his worry lessen, but his heart rate is still going impossibly fast. He immediately asks for the address, grabs his car keys, and goes out of his condo in a mad dash.

He's feeling jittery while driving and he can't calm down so when he arrives at the hospital, he almost sprints inside, asking breathlessly for the room number when he reaches the front desk, and hurriedly goes to the room in fast, uneven strides.

When he reaches the room, he almost rips the door open in his hurry, his eyes scanning what's inside and sees Ryouta, now already sitting on the bed and looking at him sheepishly.

"Geez, Kagamicchi, that's such a wild entrance. We'd have to pay for that if you broke it, you know?"

He's chuckling, but Taiga can clearly see that his shoulders are stiff. He's tense. Something huge happened, Taiga's sure of it.

Taiga growls. "Do you know how fucking worried I was?!"

Ryouta has some slightly visible scratches on his neck, a few bruises on his arms, and some cuts on the side of his face and upper lip - it looks swollen too. There's a huge bruise on his right cheek and his jaw - his pale, creamy skin fails to hide their purplish hue, and his right hand is bandaged thoroughly.

He looks like a wreck. It reminds Taiga of the very first night he saw the blonde in L.A, looking lost, and bruised all over.

"What the fuck happened?! Who did that to you?!" He asks and Ryouta winces at his tone.

"This is nothing. It's no big deal, Kagamicchi. Don't worry, I just had a fight with a stranger when I accidentally bumped to him." Ryouta is grinning, like he always fucking does, but Taiga's already far too used to the facade to be fooled.

"Stop fucking lying to me, Ryouta." He strides over to the blonde and grips his shoulder, hard, but not enough to hurt. "What happened?" He asks again, his voice low, threatening. But he's certain that Ryouta knows it's because he's worried.

Ryouta looks away, sighing. "It really is nothing. Just...don't worry about it."

Taiga feels his blood boil and his heart twists in a painful way. Ryouta has that resigned look that Taiga's seen far too many times underneath all those cheerfulness.

"How can you expect me to not worry about this?!" The worry is gnawing at him, making him clench his fists as he takes in the expression on Ryouta's face.

"Is this about her again?" He asks. He hasn't mean to, but the moment he saw the bruises and that look, that question was already at the tip of his tongue.

Ryouta's jaw clenches and it does not escape Taiga's notice. His grip on Ryouta's shoulder tightens. "So it fucking is about her?! What, did you meet her? Did you meet with her that's why I couldn't get in touch with you?!" He asks, his voice picking up in volume.

Ryouta's silence is all the confirmation he needs.

"Holy fuck, Ryouta. Why would you do that?! I thought -" He heaves a sigh of exasperation, of confusion. "Why?!" He lets go of the blonde and presses his fingers to his forehead, feeling it pound painfully.

It is then that Ryouta whips his head back to look at him, his face painted with frustration. "I had to, okay? Taiga, I had to!" The blonde half-yells, gritting his teeth, and then there's another sigh, his expression turning somber. "I'm so tired of running away. I wanted to know if I'm over her, so I reached out to her and asked to meet up. But..." Ryouta pauses to take a deep, shaky breath, and Taiga realizes the blonde is shaking a little. "Her husband followed her and started hurting her, so I had to..." He trails off and Taiga doesn't really need him to continue. He understands. He's known Ryouta long enough to know what he's done after that.

He slumps on the side of the bed, next to Ryouta, sighing and shaking his head. "Fuck." He sighs again to calm himself and lower his voice. He's frustrated, agitated, and worried, but hearing Ryouta's explanation, hearing his voice - that quiver in there, has at least eased his inner turmoils a little. "You should've told me. I almost had a heart attack when they called me and said you're in the hospital." He says, his eyes closed as he leans his palms behind him, his head tilted up towards the ceiling, taking slow, deep breaths as he lets relief wash over him, and allows his worry to slowly ebb away each time he takes a breath.

Ryouta chuckles a little, but it doesn't sound as cheerful at it should be, although it does sound sound apologetic. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just... I felt like I had to face it on my own. And then I was planning to surprise you too."

He snorts at that. "You're an idiot." He turns his head sideways to look at the blonde and he sees a thoughtful look on his face. "So did you find out?" He asks and sees Ryouta scrunch his eyebrows, his golden orbs reflecting confusion when his eyes meet with his.

"Find out what?"

"If you're over her."

There was a flash of hesitation in Ryouta's face, doubt, as he seems to take in Taiga's question, before it morphs into something that looks like certainty, firm and final. Ryouta's lips lift up in a soft, genuine smile, before he breathlessly says, "Yeah. Yeah."

Taiga can't help the smile that spreads on his face too, and his heart is filled with so much pride and relief for his friend. "I'm glad." He says as he taps the side of the blonde's head gently.

Ryouta chuckles again, this time it doesn't sound forced. "Me too, Kagamicchi. Me too."

"Stop calling me that, dumbass." He says, but the humor is evident, and Ryouta just laughs at him, wincing when his lips is fully stretched, the frustration in the air now fully dissipated.

He opens his mouth again to ask the blonde what he's going to do now, when they hear the door open and sees a familiar figure casually enter the room. Said figure is wearing a long, impeccably white coat, his green hair a little longer than what Taiga remembers it to be. His features appear more mature, a little more stern, yet also a little more expressive; softening a little when his eyes land on both of them. He's also holding something that seems to be a tanuki figurine. Taiga doesn't even need to ask why.

"Midorimacchi?"

It always amazes Taiga how Ryouta easily switches to that chirpy tone whenever other people suddenly pops up, like they just didn't have one hell of a serious conversation.

Midorima regards them with a questioning and surprised look, before he moves his hand up to his glasses to push it against the bridge of his nose. "Kise." He says in acknowledgement and turns his eyes to Taiga. "Kagami."

There's a look on Midorima's face that says he isn't sure what to make of the situation, seeing as how Taiga is sitting comfortably, familiarly in the blonde's bed. "My assistant has informed me that he saw someone I might know." He says.

Ryouta, even with all those cuts and bruises, beams like a firefly. "Midorimacchi, you work here? This is such a surprise!"

Midorima makes a disgruntled sound at Ryouta's cheery voice, Taiga does too. "Why are you both here?" Midorima decides to ask. "Kise, what happened to you?"

"I already sent you an e-mail that I've been back in Japan for a while." Taiga answers, because he honestly doesn't know how to explain the situation. He's certain that the blonde beside him is also in the same predicament.

Midorima looks at him like he's just said something stupid, which is ridiculous coming from a grown ass man - a doctor even, who's holding a tanuki figurine like it's the most normal thing. "Don't be an idiot, Kagami. That's not what I was referring to." He looks at Ryouta like he's trying to solve a puzzle.

Ryouta chuckles nervously sending Taiga discreet helpless looks. Taiga ignores him because he's not very good at lying. "Ahaha, Midorimacchi, I just had an unfortunate, uh, encounter with a stranger and I also happened to run into Kagamicchi here, right Kagamicchi?"

Taiga cringes and pointedly looks down, grunting in affirmation, or trying to. He knows they're not fooling Midorima.

Surprisingly, the green-haired man does not comment on that. "How are you feeling?" He asks instead.

Taiga thought he was talking to Ryouta, but when he hears a whine of 'Midorimacchi is so mean~ ignoring me just like that~', Taiga's eyes dart up and realizes that Midorima is looking at him.

He feels confusion at first, at being asked the question, when it's Ryouta who's clearly with the cuts and bruises, but there's something in Midorima's eyes that washes him over with realization. He touches his knee out of reflex and scrunches his eyebrows. "It's a lot better now." Is all he says. It's not really a secret, but he's still not very comfortable talking about it.

Midorima nods at him and pushes his glasses with his free hand again. "I see. I'm glad to hear that." He sounds it too. He sounds relieved, that it makes Taiga realize that Midorima might've been worried about it for a while, even though Taiga's stopped getting in touch with him (and everyone else) a few weeks after it happened - or perhaps he was worried because Taiga _stopped_ getting in touch. Midorima has been one of the few people who showed immense concern when it happened, through constant e-mails about Taiga's horoscope and lucky items, and asking about his condition in a roundabout, Midorima way, while including medical advises here and there.

"Let me know if you need anything medical related so I can set an appointment for you." He says and turns his eyes to Ryouta who stopped whining and is now looking at Taiga pensively. "As for you Kise," Ryouta's head snaps up at the mention of his name. "Your doctor will be here in a while to explain the details and procedure before you will be allowed to go home. I have not the slightest idea what went on your head, for you, of all people, to participate in such an atrocious thing like a scuffle. I expected this from Kagami-"

"Oi!-"

"-but not you." Midorima continues like he just didn't throw an insult there.

Ryouta scratches his head like a shy schoolgirl, and it makes Taiga want to add a bruise or two on that impish face. "Ah, well, there's always a first for everything, you know Midorimacchi!"

_First my ass._ Taiga thinks. He's seen worse from the blonde so it won't be an exagerration to say this is more than his tenth brawl with whoever. He's even worse than Shougo in that aspect, eventhough Shougo looks and acts like he's the one who's more inclined to violence.

But he doesn't say anything, and just coughs his disagreement. Ryouta sends him a challenging look masked under his signature sunshine smile.

Midorima ignores their obvious mental conversation and starts turning away. "I have things I need to attend to. I'll see you both in the gathering." He pauses and turns his head a little to give them a look, his eyes softening, the corners of his lips tugging up a little. "It's good seeing you both, despite the current circumstance." He says.

Taiga can't help the smile that stretches his lips after hearing that from Midorima. "It's good seeing you too, Midorima."

"We missed you too Midorimacchi!~"

Midorima is almost out the door when it suddenly opens, and in comes a nurse who looks slightly confused at Midorima's prescence, but then quickly recovers and turns her attention to both him and Ryouta. "Kagami-san, we need you to sign some papers as Kise-san's emergency contact before he can be released. The doctor is on his way to discuss some things regarding what needs to be done for Kise-san's faster recovery."

Taiga wants to facepalm at the _fucking timing_, because Midorima is standing there, his back turned from them, but Taiga can practically taste his confusion from where he is sitting in Ryouta's bed. He's scrambling for an explanation in his head and he can feel Ryouta doing the same, but before they can open their mouths, Midorima proceeds to walk out, leaving him and Ryouta looking at each other and sighing in relief.

...

When Ryouta is released, Taiga assumes Ryouta will be staying with him, but the blonde shakes his head when he says so.

"No. I rented an apartment near here." Ryouta says while looking thoughtfully outside his car window.

Taiga shoots him a brief glance and opens his eyes to ask why when Ryouta starts speaking again.

"I got in touch with my mom and sisters and arranged to spend time with them."

Taiga is taken aback at how casual it sounded, when he knows it couldn't have been an easy decision.

"You did?"

"I did. I had been thinking about it ever since you came back here. I quit my job there and decided to transfer here."

Taiga whips his head back to Ryouta in surprise and back again to the road in front that he thought he'd sprain his neck. "Seriously?!"

Ryouta snorts. "Well, it's too lonely there you know. Both you and Shougo are here...and..." He trails off and sighs, a resigned, exhausted sigh. "I guess I felt that it's been far too long. Seeing you try your best at getting your life back together, has inspired me, somehow, to stop running away too."

Taiga can't help clenching his hands on the stirring wheel when he hears those words leave Ryouta's mouth. "What about your father?"

Ryouta is silent for a moment, and then Taiga sees him shrugging in the corner of his eyes. "I'm not sure yet. But...for now, I'll probably just take things slow and see where it goes."

Taiga takes a turn, humming in response and then he smiles, even though they aren't facing each other. "I'm proud of you, you know? And I'm here for you no matter what."

Ryouta coos teasingly. "Aaawww, you're so sweet Kagamicchi~"

He just rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

The rest of their drive is relatively uneventful. They continue chatting and teasing for a while, and when they arrive at where Ryouta is staying, Taiga goes inside the apartment to see it for himself.

It's a large apartment with two bedrooms and filled with all the basic necessities and some luxurious sets.

"Since when have you been staying here?" He asked curiously.

"It wasn't me who set this place up. I asked Shougo to do it so I can stay here as soon as I arrived."

He hums and snorts mentally. Shougo huh? They really have been dragging the poor bastard everywhere. No wonder he complains so much.

"Will you be okay here on your own? I mean, with your hands sprained and all."

Ryouta slumps down his sofa and sighs approvingly. "My mom's coming tonight to stay with me."

Taiga smiles when he hears the obvious excitement in Ryouta's voice. "That's good then." He sits on the chair right beside the sofa where Ryouta is lazily sprawled on.

He feels himself relaxing, when he hears that familiar ping on his phone. He huffs a disgruntled breath before he takes his phone out from his pocket and glares at the message displayed on his phone.

_From: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Where are you?_

_Message:_

_Oi, Bakagami. Why aren't you at home?! I told you to take some more rest, not wander around._

He rolls his eyes and aggressively types his response.

_To: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_Are you my mom?! I just needed to take care of some things._

_From: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_What things?! Get your ass back home. Your pale ass needs all the rest it can get._

The reply is immediate that Taiga can't help but imagine the tanned man staring at his phone, waiting for his response. Maybe he's outside his place, grumpily waiting for Taiga. He feels heat creep up his cheeks at the memory of what happened just last night and that morning.

The stupid, tasty miso soup, and that stupid kiss on his temple.

"Who are you messaging with?" He hears Ryouta's curious voice.

He kind of wants to lie, but Ryouta's always been good at reading him. "It's Aomine."

Ryouta makes a surprised noise, and Taiga can't really blame him. "Aominecchi? You've been messaging each other?"

"Things happened and he's been a pain in my ass ever since, constantly pissing me off." He says gruffly, his fingers moving to type a response again.

He sees Ryouta sitting up and there's a look of uncertainty on his face. "Uhm, isn't he mar-"

"He's not married. Never has been, according to him. Apparently, the wedding was cancelled."

Ryouta's eyes widen in surprise. "He isn't? I didn't know that." He says, his voice sounding thoughtful. "Oh, but then again, I think I haven't gone back here after that and stopped asking about it."

Taiga's not really paying much attention anymore to what Ryouta is saying as he sends his response to Aomine. He doesn't dwell too much on that flutter in his stomach whenever the words _Aomine is not married_ comes out of his mouth or pops up in his brain. 

_To: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_Get off my case, Ahomine! I'll go home when I want to go home. Mind your own business._

_From: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_Taiga, I swear to Jizo's head, that if you don't fucking get your ass back home, I will drag it back here myself!_

Despite the threat in the message, Taiga almost laughs at how stupid Aomine is being. He starts typing a response when he feels a hand on his shoulder and when he glances at Ryouta, he sees a concerned look on his face.

Taiga sighs and offers a small, assuring smile to the blonde. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He says as he looks away, trying to avoid the doubtful look on his friend's eyes. Instead, he stares at the message he typed before he presses the send button.

_To: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_Why don't you stop being an idiot instead? But fine, I'm coming back, not because you said so but because I'm done with what I had to take care of._

The response to that makes Taiga wonder if he really will be okay because his heart feels like it won't be able to take much more of whatever it is that Aomine's doing.

_From: Ahomine Daiki_

_Subject: Re_

_Message:_

_Yeah, yeah, Whatever Bakagami. I brought you some cheeseburgers. Hurry up. I'll wait for you._

Taiga sighs again.

He will be okay, won't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, and No Kagami. But Aomine will be there for you all throughout the way...seriously, he'll stick to you like glue...lol
> 
> Everyone is so precious. Kagami is precious. Aomine is precious-er. lol.
> 
> P.S. It will all make sense one of these days. :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A part of his nightmares, in the flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I decided to move the plot along because we all want to know what really happened to Kagami and why he keeps having those nightmares. Brace yourself for the angst folks because the next two chapters at least will be filled with it, or not so much? The chapter right after the next one will be the full flashback of what happened two years ago.
> 
> Also, I'm so happy I was able to really finish 3 chapters this week. Yay! I hope you're enjoying the story so far.

It was a chilly winter morning; Taiga was doing grocery shopping, when he saw a woman, trying her best to reach the top shelf with her dainty, slim hand, to grab something that looked like a box of cereals. Taiga watched, a little amused at first, while the woman puffs out exasperated breaths, her nose scrunched in a way that made her look adorable. She looked young, probably around Taiga's age, or younger, wrapped in a bundle of winter coats and clothes, Taiga assumed, her cheeks and nose tinted with a shade of red that were very visible on her fair, glowing skin. She jumped a little, looking put off when she still didn't manage to grab the cereal, so Taiga decided to stop watching and offer her a hand, or his height.  
  
" _Need help_ ?" He asked in English, trying not to sound as amused as he felt.  
  
The woman turned her head to look at him, and Taiga was greeted by a small, pointed nose, and bright, chestnut-colored eyes that were a little angular on either side - clearly squinted a little in a manner that made her look cautious. Not that Taiga could blame her if she ever felt cautious looking at him; his height and red hair were always enough for people to feel a little wary around him - not to mention his habit of scowling.  
  
There was a flash of suspicion in her eyes, and then confusion, and not even a minute later - recognition.  
  
"Holy shit, you're Kagami Taiga!" Her voice sounded a little higher but not enough for it to be a squeal, and she brought her palms to her mouth, realizing she just spoke in a language that was not what Taiga had used when he talked to her just a minute ago. She looked abashed, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets in disbelief, and Taiga couldn't help but laugh, albeit a little awkwardly for being recognized.  
  
No matter how many times it happened, Taiga could never really get used to people recognizing him in the streets, in restaurants, in grocery stores, looking starstrucked, and with evident awe in their eyes. Three years was a very small amount of time to get him used to those.  
  
He offered her an embarassed smile and reached for the box of cereals before handing it to her. "Here." He said, still smiling, slipping into a familiar language that he was certain she'd understand - if her earlier outburst was any indication that they both have the same mother tongue.  
  
She gaped at him for a few more seconds before the corners of her lips lifted up in a smile, a blush adorning her cheeks as she took the box from him.  
  
_She looks cute,_ Taiga had thought.

He'd never imagined - was never prepared - for the changes _that_ encounter would bring to his life.

* * *

  
Aomine's been coming over a lot lately, and Taiga still doesn't know what to make of that. It's like they're back in high school, when Aomine kept barging in his apartment a month after Kuroko's birthday celebration - more than ten one-on-one's later. It's a little concerning, and a bit suspicious - because this is Aomine, he's always a little suspicious specially when he's being downright unpredictable - why Aomine pretends like nothing happened between them. Taiga even feels a little guilty sometimes, because if he thinks about it, he's never really apologized for his disappearing act some years ago. But again, Aomine never asks, never pries, never accuses him of whatever he did that caused them both to drift apart. Instead, he just looks at him sometimes, with that look, that look that Taiga suspects is a mix of worry, apprehension, and stubborn determination. Like he's not quite sure himself of what he's doing, why Taiga is letting him get away with it, but he's determined to keep doing it. To be honest, he's not even sure why he lets Aomine do what he wants. Maybe it's because, lately, with Aomine's prescence, he's been having less and less of those nightmares.  
  
"Oi, Kagami. You going to that gathering Satsuki mentioned? It's this Saturday, right?" Taiga hears Aomine ask, one Thursday morning, while they are both squatting down the floor, drinking coffee on the coffee table, and watching some news that's on tv.  
  
It's one of those days, when Aomine announces with finality that he's going to spend the night at his place - without so much as a regard for his consent (not that he's really that against it) - saying it's because he's bored and it's his rest day.

That day though, Taiga decides to indulge Aomine because of the obvious dark bags under his eyes, and the weary, exhausted look he has on his face. He looks thoroughly worn out, and Taiga has too much of a heart for Aomine to argue with him in that state.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. I already told Kuroko I'd go." He says as he slices the pancakes and pours a healthy amount of syrup on them before pushing the plate towards the other man.  
  
Aomine grunts and mumbles a low ' _thanks_ ' before he stabs each slice with a fork and bringing them to his mouth.  
  
Even his chewing seems tired and uncoordinated.  
  
Taiga raises his eyebrows in concern.  
  
"I see. Let's go together then." He says while watching whatever is playing on the television, chewing absently with his mouth closed. He keeps blinking his eyes, sometimes even rubbing at them with the back of his hand.  
  
Taiga feels irritation bubble up in his throat.  
  
"If you're that tired, then go to sleep." He says, opting to stare at the reporter on tv, so Aomine can't see whatever emotion he has on his eyes.  
  
"Later. I want to spend time with you before you go to work."  
  
Taiga's eyes snap back to Aomine in an instant when he hears whatever the hell that was that came out of his mouth. The blue eyes staring back at him looks as surprised as Taiga, and he realizes Aomine hadn't meant to say those words outright, but they came out anyway. He probably is too tired to have proper control over his brain and his mouth.  
  
Taiga, on the other hand, can feel the warmth spreading from his neck up to his face at the mere thought of Aomine wanting to spend more time with him - enough for him to try and will away his sleepiness.  
  
He hears an awkward cough and sees Aomine shifting uncomfortably while he fiddles the pancake with his fork, his head hanging low.  
  
He looks adorable, all awkward and embarassed like that.  
  
He clears his throat and looks away. "I'll come back home early today, so just go to sleep for now."  
  
Aomine's head snaps back up so fast that Taiga was worried for a moment if his neck has taken damage from that.   
  
"You sure? Would they be okay with you going home early?" There's a barely suppressed hope in there that Taiga hears, so he doesn't even pretend to act like he doesn't want to go home early and spend time with the other man too.  
  
"They're big guys. I think they can handle it. Besides, I just hired a manager 3 days ago, so I don't really have to take care of much." He says, shrugging a little to appear nonchalant. But there's a smile playing on his lips that says otherwise.  
  
He sees Aomine nodding, and then his lips stretch into a wide grin - not a smirk - and it's so bright that it strikes Taiga with a shot of tingles and flutters straight to his gut travelling up to his chest and down his toes.  
  
It makes him feel light headed.  
  
_This is bad._

"Okay." He hears Aomine say, and he sounds breathless and happy. It's doing a lot of things to Taiga's heart. "Okay." He says again, smile still in place.

Aomine then stands up, collects his mug and plate, and then heads for the sink.

Taiga shakes his head to clear his mind from thinking too much of the situation. "I'll clean it up. Go take a shower so you can rest. Will you be okay in here alone?" He decides to ask because now that he thinks about it, this is the first time that Aomine will be left alone in his house. It just feels so natural having him there that Taiga forgets that Aomine has his own house to sleep at.

"Yeah." Is all Aomine answers before he tiredly trudges towards the bathroom.

Taiga sighs and takes his own mug and plates to the sink.

_This is really like high school._

After a few minutes of cleaning up and changing into his work clothes, he knocks into the guest's bathroom door. "Aomine, you okay in there?"

There's a little shuffling before he hears a faucet being turned off. "Yeah! I'll be out in a bit."

"No need! I have to go. I'll be back later, yeah?"

He turns around to walk away when he hears the bathroom door open and feels the the warm heat of the steam from inside spreading on his back. He turns his head back and sees Aomine's blue head poking from the slight opening of the bathroom door.

Then Aomine stretches his hand a little bit towards Taiga and waves him over.

Taiga doesn't really want to get closer, mainly because his mind is overloading on the fact that Aomine is just behind that door - possibly as naked as the day he was born, and also because he feels a little bit suspicious of what Aomine is trying to do.

After a moment of mentally deliberating with himself, he decides to just get it over with so he can get away from the _possibly_ naked Aomine as soon as possible.

He shuffles awkwardly towards the other man, his eyebrows scrunched together, and eyes the smirking, blue-haired idiot suspiciously.

"What?" He asks, voice laced with wariness.

When he gets a little closer and within arms reach, Aomine suddenly grabs his arm and yanks him closer with a toothy, amused grin. "Take care and come back early." He says before planting a soft, wet kiss on his temple. _Again._

Taiga stands there, eyes wide and mouth agape, before he realizes that Aomine's already closed the bathroom door.

Heat flares up on his face - in embarassment or indignation, he doesn't really know which anymore. And there's that fluttering in his stomach again, only this time the fluttering is accompanied with both a pleasant and unpleasant swirling, like he's on a rollercoaster while he has wings.

Taiga wants to cry, but he also wants to shout, because his cheeks and ears feel so fucking warm and the squeezing in his heart feels horrifyingly pleasant.

"You fucker! Why do you keep doing that?!"

A loud cackle is the only response he gets.

That afternoon, Taiga gets home and finds a sleeping Aomine, on his bed, with his shirt on and nothing else but boxers from the waist down, hugging and burrying his face on his pillow, and for the second time that day, Taiga has to question the choices he made in his life.

* * *

  
"Kagamin! I'm so happy you came!"  
  
Momoi's face exudes happines and warmth, and Taiga can't help but feel extremely touched when she gives him a bear hug, squeezing him firmly like she doesn't plan on letting him go anytime soon.  
  
Taiga gently pats her on her back, chuckling.  
  
"Gosh, it's been so long since I've seen you. You still look as raggedly handsome as ever!" She says as she laughs and squeezing him against her fondly before she lets him go.  
  
He awkwardly rubs the back of his head at the compliment and scrunches his nose a little to try and hide his blush. "Thank you?" He says, uncertain of what to say. He's never really been great with compliments - both at giving and receiving them.

That makes her laugh more. "You're still as beautiful as ever too." He decides to return the comoliment with an awkward smile.  
  
Her smile is wide when she hears him say that and she winks at him, smacking her lips amusingly. "Oh, Kagamin. You're still so awkward with compliments." She giggles and gives him a fond look. "I'm glad, and thank you for the compliment." She steps over to his side and braces her hand on his arm. "Let's go and meet the others. We've all missed you so much." She says as she squeezes Taiga's arm a little.  
  
It's a reassuring touch, and Taiga is thankful for it.  
  
He lowers his eyes to look at the girl beside him. She hasn't changed much since the last time he saw her - she still has that affectionate yet calculative aura around her that makes her seem much bigger than she actually is. Her pink hair is a little shorter now; cut just a little below her shoulder. Her pink eyes are a lot sharper, yet they still hold the same friendliness, the same soft look she always had, specially when it involves her friends, basketball, and Kuroko.  
  
Taiga has been nervous about this night. He's been uneasy since the other day, thinking about the prospect of meeting his high school friends and acquaintances. He's even lost some sleep because of it, but Aomine's been there with him, telling him it'll be okay - well, not with so much words, but he's sure those pats on his back meant exactly that.  
  
Kuroko's called him too, asking if he's okay, or just talking to him about trivial yet familiar things - probably to ease the tension out of him.  
  
It's helped somehow.  
  
Taiga looks around the place. It's not quite what he'd expected. It's a large sushi place with private rooms that can each accommodate around 20 people or so. The interior of the place screams elegance and comfort, and Taiga thinks Momoi really did choose the right place for the type of gathering they're going to have. It isn't a loud place, and he's pretty sure that they serve good food accompanied with good drinks.  
  
Once they reach a certain door - a shoji door to be exact - Momoi halts and slides the door open, and then Taiga is greeted with the sight of familiar faces. Faces he hasn't seen in 10 years - except for one particular blonde, who by the looks of his hand in the air, Taiga guesses, has just been chatting animatedly with Kuroko beside him.  
  
When the door opened, everyone's eyes turned to look at him and Momoi, and now, a few seconds later, Taiga feels slightly uncomfortable at the attention they're getting.  
  
"Kagamicchi! You're finally here! Come here, come here! Sit beside me and Kurokocchi!"

Of course it's Ryouta that breaks the tension.  
  
Taiga inhales sharply, nervously, as he mentally thanks his friend for deliberately saving him from running away from everyone out of nervousness.  
  
He sees Kuroko giving him a gentle smile as he stands up and goes over to him. Momoi also pries her hand away from his arm, but not before giving him another gentle, yet reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry so much, Kagamin. We all miss you, so I hope you give us a chance to spend some quality time with you too. Dai-chan's been hogging you all to himself a lot lately."  
  
At the mention of the blue-haired man's name, Taiga's cheeks involuntarily flares up, and he has to look away and rake his fingers through his hair to hide his reddening cheeks.  
  
It's a good thing that Momoi's attention is turned to Kuroko, so she doesn't see Taiga's struggle at covering his red face.  
  
"Kagami-kun, I'm glad you're here." Kuroko says, as flatly as he usually does, but there's an emotion that's dancing in his eyes that's emanating warmth, and it reaches Taiga's heart, squeezing it gently.  
  
He smiles softly and says, "Yeah me too, Kuroko. It's good to see you."  
  
Kuroko returns the smile, just as softly.  
  
Ryouta's whining from where he is currently sitting reaches Taiga's ears, complaining about _"Kagamicchi~ how about us? Aren't you glad to see us too?"_  
  
It makes Taiga roll his eyes. Trust Ryouta to act like they just didn't see each other yesterday. But he still decides to play along. "I'm glad to see the others too, but not you." He says, because playing along doesn't mean he can't be an asshole to Ryouta.  
  
They both know he doesn't mean it though.  
  
"You're so mean, Kagamicchi!~" Ryouta whines more.  
  
"Would you stop that incessant noise, Kise." He hears Midorima say and then the green-haired doctor regards him with a curt nod, and there's a lilt on his lips as he says, "It's good to see you again, Kagami." He's sitting just across the blonde, and sitting on his left side is Akashi, who's hair is now a little longer, and looking a little leaner too, and on his right side is Murasakibara, happily munching on something that looks like truffles.  
  
The other ones in the room are all familiar faces to Taiga. He'd spent most of his high school days in Japan with them. Just a few seats away from Ryouta are his previous teammates; Kiyoshi Teppei, Hyuga Junpei, Izuki Shun, Furihata Kouki, and then there's his high school coach, Aida Riko, smiling fondly at him. Sitting beside them is Takao Kazunari - he's not sure why he's there but he appreciates the presence all the same, and then beside Takao is the person he considered - and still does - his brother who he hasn't seen in a long time too, Tatsuya.  
  
Tatsuya is smiling warmly at him, his eyes now both exposed and uncovered, full of emotions that Taiga can only describe as affectionate.  
  
He returns all the smile directed at him, and as Taiga looks at them, he sess that there is no pity on those eyes, no privy looks, no eyes so worried that it makes Taiga want to hurl. There's none of those eyes. Just warm, friendly eyes.  
  
He exhales a relieved sigh.  
  
"Taiga, it's been a long time." Tatsuya says, his voice soft and has a trace of subtle longing, as he stands up to walk over to him.  
  
When he's close enough, Tatsuya gives him a warm, firm embrace and Taiga has to smile, because it feels so familiar. "Yeah, it really has been." He says, as he returns the hug just as firmly.  
  
"Kagamiii! We haven't seen your mug in 10 years! You've grown taller haven't you?" Riko's voice is loud, but Taiga's smile only gets wider.  
  
"Tsk, you don't show your face in 10 years, and you don't even greet us first when you show up?" Taiga smiles when he hears Hyuuga's voice. He probably tried to make it sound offended but it comes out as amused teasing.  
  
"Now, now, Junpei. Let's give Kagami a break. I'm sure he's a bit overwhelmed with everyone's presence." Kiyoshi says while smiling that friendly, father-like smile of his.  
  
He sees Furihata wave at him too. "Kagami, it's good to see you man. It's been such a long time."

Even Takao is grinning at him, his right hand already holding a glass of beer. "We've been doing this for years Kagami, it's high time you get to join us." He says, a fond smile playing on his lips.

Taiga smiles and nods at all of them after he disentangles himself from Tatsuya. "Hey, guys! Man, I didn't expect all of you to be here. It's good to see you guys again."  
  
"Kaga-chin, Mine-chin said you own a restaurant now. Is the food good?"  
  
Of course, that's Murasakibara's main concern. Of course.  
  
"Why don't you drop by the place and find out for yourself. We make the best _Whoopie Pie_ and _Cheese Cake_ in town." Taiga decides to answer, saying the sweets' names in English, a grin plastered on his face as he watches Murasakibara's eyes grow wide. He looks like he's mentally drooling.  
  
"I don't know what those are, but they sound delicious. I'll come by with Mido-chin." He responds while stuffing his mouth with more truffles.  
  
Midorima, who was characteristically silent, scrunches his nose in a disagreeing manner before he hands Murasakibara some napkins to wipe the crumbs off the corners of his mouth. "Who told you I'm coming with you?" He huffs out.  
  
"Eeehhh~ You won't? Then I'll ask Aka-chin or Muro-chin."  
  
Taiga finds it a little funny and endearing that Murasakibara also hasn't changed much despite his towering height.  
  
His eyes then lands on Akashi, who regards him with a thoughtful look, and Taiga is suddenly reminded of that time he first met the redhead, and he mentally shudders at the memory. As Akashi stands up from his seat, Taiga feels like running away, or perhaps hide behind Kuroko, or someone, in case Akashi does the same thing he did when they first met. But Akashi does not do that, instead, he reaches his hand out towards Taiga as a gesture of handshake as he smiles. "It's good to finally see you again, Taiga. We missed having you around during events such as this." He says, and his tone is that of a friend that's telling Taiga _ 'Welcome home'.  
  
_ Taiga smiles back and shakes his hand with equal fervor.  
  
It's such a strange thing (or perhaps not really), for him to come here, expecting to feel distressed by the attention (he expected the attention will be a little too much for him to bear, or too heavy with pity that it'd only stress him out) but somehow, somehow, everything feels light. It feels right to be there. Akashi's smile, in fact, everyone else's smile and presence are too welcoming, too comforting, too natural that it feels like he's in high school all over again; a teenager without so much care in the world except basketball and his friends.  
  
He's forgotten how easy it is to be with these guys.  
  
It's a great thing he has decided to come.   
  
"Okay! That's enough with the greetings!" Momoi claps enthusiastically. "Let's start the feast and drink to our heart's content!" She says while she wiggles her eyebrows.  
  
That resulted in loud cheering and laughing, and everyone else going back to where they are seated.

"Daiki isn't here yet though." Akashi notes, looking around to make sure his observation is right.  
  
Taiga opens his mouth and answers before he can stop himself. "Yeah, he says he has to take care of some things first so he'll probably be late."  
  
When Aomine had called him a while ago to tell him that, Taiga admits he felt a bit disappointed, but Aomine sounded upset too - upset and exhausted - so Taiga decided not to chew him out for not being able to make good on his word of coming there together.  
  
He sighs dejectedly, and as he looks up, he sees Akashi staring at him, his expression unreadable.  
  
"What is it?" He decides to ask.  
  
Akashi's lips lift up a little, his eyes shining of an emotion that he can only describe as wistful. "I'm glad you and Daiki are talking again."  
  
He feels a stab to his chest when he hears it, spoken in a voice that's filled with fond sentiment and nostalgia. He opens his mouth to say something -a retort, a scoff, anything. But his voice is lost somewhere deep within the lump in his throat.  
  
"Dai-chan! You're here!"  
  
Taiga whips his head towards the door faster than the speed of light at the mention of Aomine's name, momentarily forgetting his conversation with Akashi.  
  
He sees Aomine casually striding inside, his hands inside his pants' pockets, and he almost looks nonchalant except for the obvious exhaustion on his face. But even with the bags under his sunken eyes, his messy blue hair, Taiga's breath still hitches when he sees Aomine smile at him. That genuine, almost too private smile.

Taiga feels his heart beating a mile a minute.

Aomine hugs Momoi for a moment and acknowledges the others in the room before he saunters over to Taiga, and Taiga; he can't help but discreetly look the him over, taking in the gorgeous beauty of this man - exhausted or not; the blue tie on his fitted, gray button-down shirt is loosened up haphazardly, his black casual overcoat is a little loose on his lean, fit body, but it looks great on him, perfect even.  
  
Taiga has never seen Aomine in that kind of attire before, although it's a little similar to his high school uniform, but this one, this one also looks totally different. It feels totally different.  
  
There's something dangerous about it, something strangely intriguing.  
  
Something sexy and _hot_ .  
  
He shivers when he feels goosebumps all over.  
  
_Holy crap. No, no, no! Let's not go there!_  
  
Taiga mentally berates himself for even thinking about those things and he looks away, his eyes landing on blonde ones, boring into him with a knowing and teasing look.  
  
There's a smirk on Ryouta's face that Taiga wants to rip off. He looks away before he can do so, and decides to return his gaze to the approaching tanned man.

Aomine's smile isn't helping one bit. It only serves to fuel his internal agony, more and more.  
  
"Hey." Aomine whispers as he sits beside Taiga, and it does strange things to his mind.  
  
It's a first for him. He's never really thought about things like that with regards to the blue-haired idiot. It kind of scares him a little, and it also does more than scare him.  
  
_Oh my fucking fuck. Stop it!_  
  
"Hey." He answers awkwardly, inhaling a slow, deep breath to calm himself down. "You look tired." He decides to say to distract himself from _other things.  
_  
He feels Aomine leaning a little on his side as he sighs. "I _feel_ tired. I had to work on a lot of things to have enough time to come here."  
  
Taiga wants to cry, and Ryouta is giving him strange looks, his golden eyebrows raising in interest.  
  
He's thankful that the others are already too busy chatting with each other and stuffing their mouths with food and occassional drinks, to spare them a curious look, or any kind of look for that matter.  
  
Taiga sighs. "You should've just gone home then so you can take some rest."  
  
He hears Aomine grunt and adjust himself so he can lean himself a little more on him without both of them being uncomfortable. His head is almost on Taiga's shoulder.  
  
"Stop leaning on me! You're heavy!" He grits out in a whisper, but only because his stomach is flipping like it's doing somersaults.  
  
"Just a little. I'm too tired." Aomine responds, his eyes closed, his voice soft and hoarse.  
  
It's unusual for him to not retort with indignance, and Taiga turns his head a little to look at the tanned man slumped on his side. He really does look exhausted.  
  
Something in Taiga's heart twist and he doesn't stop his hand from swiping some of the other man's hair from his forehead, gently stroking his head in the process, choosing to ignore his internal self-reproach as he hears Aomine hum approvingly.

He doesn't open his eyes but the creases between his eyebrows softens.

Taiga pretends he doesn't know that Ryouta is still staring at him.

"Aren't you going to eat and drink?" He asks, his left hand unconsciously moving towards Aomine's back and settles on his arm to rub it back and forth, gently, soothingly.  
  
Taiga doesn't even realize he's almost hugging Aomine to his side, and he raises his eyebrows when he catches Momoi looking at them with a funny look on her face. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is gaping. But there's a strange twinkle to those pink eyes.  
  
Taiga shrugs and lets her be.  
  
"I'll eat later, but I won't drink since you probably will, and you also probably brought a car." Aomine says before he yawns. His hair is tickling Taiga's cheek, but he doesn't move away.  
  
"You didn't bring your car?"  
  
Aomine hums again when Taiga gently squeezes his arm, turning his head slightly sideways to look at Aomine, almost nuzzling his face on the other's hair in the process.  
  
His lungs is filled with Aomine's intoxicating scent when he inhales that he almost buries his face on that tanned neck to get more of that scent.

_Almost_. But thankfully he still has enough sanity left to stop himself.  
  
"No, because I knew you'd bring yours."  
  
Taiga realizes it only means that Aomine plans on going back to his house.  
  
He bites his lip to keep himself from smiling.  
  
"Oi, you two lovebirds over there. Stop being so lovey-dovey and gives us attention too."  
  
Taiga splutters in embarassment when he hears Hyuuga's voice, clearly directed at both him and Aomine, and he glares at him to hopefully hide the red hue that's slowly crawling from his neck to his face.

"Oh my, Bakagami and Ahomine huh? Never thought I'd see the day." Riko chimes in, her tone a mix of amusement and teasing.

"W-who are you calling l-lovebirds?! He's just leaning on me because he's tired!" He responds with indignation, and it's filled with so much defensiveness that it only makes everyone else in the room laugh.  
  
Even Kuroko looks amused. Ryouta has that knowing, annoying smirk again, and Momoi, Momoi is looking at them like she'll squeal any moment now.  
  
The tanned man beside him, however, just grunts but doesn't even make an effort to retort or move away. Instead he scoots even closer to him, almost snuggling with him.  
  
Taiga doesn't even know what to do or what to react anymore, so instead, he pours himself a drink, and chugs it down his throat in one gulp.  
  
...  
  
One hour, 7 glasses of beer, and a few laughs and banters later, Taiga is feeling an urgent need to visit the restroom because it seems like his bladder has had enough beer to last a night.  
  
Aomine is already fast asleep, his head resting on Taiga's lap. It's amazing how he managed to fall asleep surrounded with their loud voices and clamor.

(Amidst that clamor, Taiga is internally grateful because no one has asked or talked - not even one person - about the things that Taiga has left behind in America. No one asks him how knee is, if he's recovered, or if he still plays. He supposes it's their own way of trying to be considerate, and Taiga has nothing but gratefulness for having known and being friends with such good people.)

  
He rakes his fingers between blue locks and nudges the man a little.  
  
"Hey, I have to go to the bathroom." He whispers, noting absently that he may have slurred a few words there.  
  
Aomine stirs and opens his eyes a little, squinting when he is greeted by the bright light. He rolls over to his side, facing Taiga's stomach, and buries his face in there while his right arm wraps itself around his back, effectively hugging him. He hears the tanned man sigh a content sigh, and it makes Taiga smile while looking down at the other him.

Aomine looks endearing like that.

He strokes his hair with his fingers again. "Heeeyyy, I'm serious. I really need to go to the bathroom." He slurs and follows it with a hiccup, chuckling when he hears Aomine grunt and wraps his arm around him tighter.

It's like he doesn't want to let him go.

It takes a few seconds - with Taiga thinking that he might have to endure a full bladder all throughout the night - before Aomine decides to let him go. He rolls over to the side before he sits up, taking the seating cushion and grumpily squats on it while leaning his elbow on the table.  
  
"Aominecchi, you look like you could use some more beauty sleep. Want to lay your head on my lap?" Ryouta says while scooting over so he can poke his head above Kuroko's (who is sitting beside Taiga). His smile is wide with mischief.  
  
"Shut up Kise." Aomine growls.

"Aww, Taiga, Aominecchi is being mean to me~ You have to comfort me." The blonde says, winking at him and reaching over for him - with great difficulty - to give him a playful hug while Kuroko slides backwards to give them space but still ends up with Kise's legs laying on top of his own.

"Kise-kun, please stop trying to squish us." He hears Kuroko say.

Taiga just rolls his eyes and taps Ryouta's back as he tries to balance himself while Ryouta is sadistically putting his weight on his neck and shoulder. "Quit whining and go back to your seat, Ryouta. I have to go pee." He says absently, not realizing how affectionate he sounded.

Ryouta chuckles again and unwraps his arms around his neck before he shows that mischiveous, sadistic smile of his. It just looks a normal, cheery smile to other people, but his years spent with the blonde has taught Taiga to discern which of his smile is which.

He raises his eyebrows questioningly, and almost ask his friend what the hell he's scheming now, when he feels something tug at the hem of his coat. He turns his head around and sees Aomine with a scowl on his face.

"I thought you were going to the bathroom?" Aomine growls out, and it's filled with so much irritation that he wonders what happened for the other man to make that face. He looks extremely annoyed.

Taiga opens his mouth to ask what happend, but then his bladder reminds him that, yes, he does have to go to the bathroom, and he has to go now. So he decides to finally stand up, and puts the questions aside for later, and trudges towards the door, wobbling all the way, and feeling like the world is spinning.  
  
"You gon' be okay?" He hears Aomine ask.  
  
"Yeah." He says before continuing his ardous walk towards the door. He's still swaying when he reaches it, and he blinks a few time to gain some sort of focus when he pries the door open. But just when he took one step outside, he bumps into something, or someone, and lost his footing. He is already staggering because of the alcohol on his system, so it's really no surprise when he stumbles with just that bump and falls on his knees, hitting them on the floor.  
  
He winces when he feels the pain on both his knees; it's just a subtle pain, but he struggles to get back up because his vision is swaying. He braces his palms on the floor and pushes himself up, muttering a slurry _"Sorry about that"_ because even in his not so drunken stupor, he still recognizes when it's his fault.  
  
He manages to stand up without falling again when he hears the soft, familiar response. "Oh it's nothing. I'm sorry too, I wasn't really loo- ..." There was a pause and then an audible gasp. "wait... Taiga?"  
  
Taiga feels like all his blood drained from him right that moment when he hears that voice. He's not looking at the person who said it, but _that voice_ ... It's one of the things he wants to forget, wants to burry them down inside and never wants to dig up again.  
  
He's suddenly feels sober, but realizes he's shaking, and there's an awful, sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach.  
  
He feels like throwing up, he can practically taste the bile in his throat; there's a bitter taste in his mouth, and something much, much worse.  
  
He grabs his knee reflexively, squeezing it tight, because the ache, he can feel the ache now. It's more painful than it's ever felt, and something stings on that silvery line just above his eyebrow.   
  
Taiga wants to hurl. He doesn't want to meet with those eyes. Something painful is twisting deep inside of him as he closes his eyes in desperation. Silently wishing for this to just be a dream... to be one of those nightmares.  
  
He isn't ready.  
  
This is one of the things he might never ever be ready for.  
  
Because those words -

'_Do you even love me?'_

_'You don't love me enough'_

_'It's your fault'_

_'I know you're still in love with someone else'_

_'I'm sorry'_

The ache is so strong, it's crawling from the depths of his heart to every part of his body, lingering, painfully, on his knee, making him tremble.

He shuts his eyes so tight, it feels like he'll go blind any moment now.

"Taiga, is that you?" He hears that soft, disgustingly sweet voice again, and he flinches when he feels her walking closer. He reflexively takes a step back, while his body is still bent down, holding that knee in desperation.

_No no no no no no no. Why is she here? This can't be happening now._

"Taiga!" Somewhere from behind him, he hears Ryouta's panicking voice, and he realizes the door is still open, and Ryouta has probably seen the person in front of him.

So much for pretensions and facades.

Taiga knows there's no escaping this. He gulps a lung-full of air, forcing that bitter lump down his throat, all the way to his heart as he lets his knee go. He hears Ryouta - he's pretty certain it's him - scrambling desperately towards him, and when he feels the blonde's presence just behind him, he open his eyes and allows himself to look at the person in front of him.

He clenches his jaw when he finally sees that face again, after almost 3 years. That deceptively sweet, and innocent face, and seeing that, just makes the ache more painful.

It gnaws on every part of his body, every part of his heart.

Even his nightmares didn't give him this much pain.

It really is different seeing the person with his own two eyes again.

He wants to run away from here, because why does it have to be now? Why does it have to happen as soon as he thought that his life is now getting a little better, that those nightmares will soon be just a forgotten memory. That he's finally moving on from a lot of things that caused him pain.

Why does he have to be reminded now, that no matter what he does, this is one thing he can never escape from. One thing that will always be a painful reminder of his shattered dream and broken heart.

He opens his mouth to say the words he'd always wanted to say all those years ago, but all that comes out is a choked, pained "_Kan...na_._"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if you've already guessed what happened... but I hope not, so you can still enjoy the angsty surprise.. ^_^
> 
> Also...  
Kagami: Why do you keep kissing me on my temple? What is wrong with you?  
Aomine: Nothing. No homo bro. Don't worry about it. In fact I'll snuggle with you too, but still no homo.  
Lol.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy this week so I wasn't able to update faster. And I wrote this while I was half-asleep because I wanted to post at least one update before the week ends. Please forgive me.  
I'll check for errors later. I suck at english, so don't expect much even after I edit this. Lol.  
Thank you to those who're still reading this.

_“Kan...na.”_

It’s the only word that comes out of Taiga’s trembling lips. Even to his own ears, his voice sounds so hollow, yet the word itself is piercing, enough to make him feel like his heart is being stabbed all over, and his ears echoing the name over and over persistently...painfully.

The woman is standing in front of him, her mouth slightly agape, her chestnut eyes reflecting shock and disbelief, before turning into something that Taiga wishes he doesn’t know what. Her expression morphs into that of a contrite look, her wide eyes softening as she starts awkwardly fidgeting.

“What’s happening? Do you know him Kanna?” A woman – possibly one of the three friends or acquaintances that are currently standing next to her – asks with evident confusion and curiosity, but Taiga does not bother sparing her, or the other two, a glance. His eyes are stuck on the familiar woman in front of him. Familiar, even though she now looks quite different; her once short brown hair now reaches her waistline and her face is adorned with cosmetics that she once mentioned she hated.

Most likely one of the lies she's told him.

He doesn’t know what expression he’s wearing at the moment, but with the shaking of his hands, and the rising bile in his throat, he gathers it isn’t a pleasant one.

He hears a door being slid close and feels a comforting hand on his shoulder before he hears Ryouta’s voice.

“Shougo, I sent you an address. Come pick us up as soon as possible. Don’t bring a car.”

There’s a sense of urgency in Ryouta’s voice and Taiga can only stand there, forgetting everything that happened before this moment, not even managing to register the frantic, desperate tone in the blonde’s voice. The hand on his shoulder is trembling, gripping his shoulder a little harder than he should, but Taiga can’t bring himself to care.

“Wait!” The woman – _Kanna_ – nearly shouts, a despairing tone lacing the word, her features looking almost pleading.

It makes his chest constrict in a suffocating way.

“Taiga, please, c-can I talk to you?” She asks, almost in a whisper, ignoring her friends’ who keep asking _what’s going on_. “I want to talk with you...privately.”

He almost hurls at her tone, tasting the bitterness on his tongue with every word that comes out of her mouth. He wants to laugh at how her face can look so innocent, and sweet, and blameless, like she can do nothing wrong.

He knows better. He’s learned it the hard, painful way.

She starts taking hesitant, tentative steps towards him again, and Taiga blanches, feeling goosebumps rising on his nape at the mere thought of her touching him, or being near his personal space.

It’s a sickening feeling.

But she doesn’t manage to get near him because Ryouta steps forward and stands in front of him, his back turned to him as he reaches his hand out back to hold Taiga’s own to give it a gentle yet firm squeeze. “Ishinori-san, don’t even dare take one more step forward.” His voice is steely as he grits out every syllable.

_Kanna _eyes the blonde with an exasperated, yet pleading look. “Ryouta-san, please let me talk to him. I...I just want-“

“Don’t. He doesn’t want to talk to you. And do not call me by my first name again. Ever.”

The woman looks unconvinced as she gives Taiga a glance, her brows furrowed and she bites her lower lip nervously.

Her friends are now throwing each other confused looks as they watch the spectacle unfold before them; Taiga standing (cowering) behind Ryouta while their friend tries to approach them, as she would a fierce, threatened animal.

Taiga only wishes he can run away from it all. He boldly declared to himself just weeks ago that he’d start moving forward, taking little steps one at a time, but right now, he only wants to run all the way back to before it all happened.

He realizes, bitterly, that maybe there are just some things that he still isn’t ready to face.

He clutches at the fabric of Ryouta’s shirt just in front of him and closes his eyes.

“Kagami?” That familiar, drawled-out tone snaps Taiga out of his derailing, painful thoughts. “What’s going on? I thought you were going to the bathroom?”

Taiga can feel his heart pounding harder and faster as he feels Aomine’s presence just behind him.

He doesn’t want Aomine there now. He doesn’t want Aomine to see whatever it is that is happening. He doesn’t want him to look at Taiga and see how utterly cornered he feels at the moment.

“Taiga, please. Let's talk. Even just five minutes will do."

Kanna starts reaching out for him with her familiar, dainty hands that Taiga used to love holding with his own, but now every part of his body is repulsed at the very thought. His knees start to buckle as he takes another step backwards.

Ryouta makes an irritated growl as he covers Taiga with his back. "I told you to stop, did you not hear me?!"

Ryouta sounds positively seething now, his voice growing louder by the minute.

"I just want to talk to him!"

"Kagami, what the fuck is going on?! Who is this woman? Do you know her?"

Aomine sounds genuinely confused, but also concerned, as he places both of his hands on Taiga's shoulder.

He can't bring himself to speak, or to even open his mouth. Everything, _everything_ seems to choke him.

His knee is hurting, his head is throbbing, and his heart is beating like it wants to come out of his chest and slam itself on the floor.

"Kise, what is going on here?"

He hears Midorima's familiar voice and it's only making him feel worse.

"Kagami-kun?"

"Dai-chan, what's wrong? What's Kagamin and Ki-chan doing?"

"Taiga? What's happening?"

Taiga turns his head around a little and sees that most of their friends are already at the door, standing close to each other as their eyes dart from him to Ryouta, and to the girl in front of them. They're all wearing the same questioning look.

And then his eyes land on Aomine who is standing a little to his back, both his hands still placed on Taiga's shoulder, a disquieted look on his face as he narrows his eyes at the woman in front of them and then back to Taiga.

"Ishinori-san, haven't you done enough?! So why don't you just leave him alone now. He doesn't want to see you, or talk to you, or even want to hear you. You've already had your chance, years ago. I won't let you near him again."

The tremble in Ryouta's voice takes Taiga's attention back to what's in front of him.

Kanna's remorseful expression twists into that of anger. "I only want to talk to him, but who are you to deny that?! You're just his friend, Kise-san." She grits the name out like it offends her. "And you're right, years ago I did have my chance. I already said I was sorry. And now, I want to talk to him because I want to apologize again... It's been years Taiga." She's looking at him now with a tired, resigned look. Taiga can only stare back. "I...I just want us both to get over it. And seeing as you seem fine now, I gather you've already recovered, right? So one talk shouldn't even bother you this much."

Taiga feels his blood boil at how defeated she sounds, how utterly easy it is for her to say those words and sounding like he's the one at fault for not being able to handle even just talking with her. Like she's the victim now and he's to blame for not getting over it all, for not being able to forgive her.

For always having those nightmares.

"How dare you." It's Ryouta who responds to her, his hands balled into fists, and his jaw is clenched tight. Ryouta looks absolutely livid. "How fucking dare you! You!-" He pauses and he looks like he almost wants to strangle her.

"What's going on? Ki-chan looks like he wants to go on a rampage. It's the first time I've seen him like that."

There's shushing and worried whispers behind Taiga, but he can't bear to look at their confused and worried faces again. He can't even bring himself to look at Aomine again as the tanned man now stands beside him, eyes directed in front.

"You fucking dare talk about getting over it like it's so easy to do?! When it's you who destroyed his life?!"

Taiga wants to stop Ryouta from saying anything more. He wants to remind him where they are and who they are with, but there's a strong grip on his wrist that stops him from doing so.

He looks at the hand tightly gripping his wrist and up the familiar face, and he almost chokes at the unguarded expression that Aomine has on his face. It's like he just heard something that physically hurt him and it's Taiga who caused the pain.

He feels like someone just punched him in his gut. He opens his mouth to say something, or ask the tanned man _why are you making that face?, _when he hears Shougo's familiar voice from the other end of the hallway.

"Oi Ryouta, what's going on? Why the fuck did ya call me in the middle of a da-"

He stops as he takes the scene in front of him in, his eyes narrowing dangerously as recognition flickers on them.

Everyone's eyes dart towards him, and Taiga can hear more confused reactions.

"What the...? Hey, Shin-chan, isn't that the one from...uh...Fukuda?"

"His name is Haizaki, Takao."

"Haizaki-san? What...What are you doing here?"

"Satsuki-san, I think Kise-kun called him over."

"Shougo, what are you doing here?"

"Aka-chin, you know him?"

"What the fuck is going on? I'm so confused."

"You're not alone Junpei."

"Both of you, shut up."

"Izuki-senpai what's going on?"

"Honestly, Furihata, I have no idea what's happening."

"What the fuck is Haizaki doing here?! Kagami, what's going on?"

Haizaki marches over to them, ignoring everyone else's wary expressions and questions as to _why the fuck he is there._ His eyes are focused and darting over to Taiga, Ryouta, and the woman in front of them. His strides are fast and determined as his expression morphs into sheer anger and hatred.

"Ya bitch!"

"Hey! Why are you talking to our friend like that?!"

"Shut up, I'm not talking to ya!" Shougo snarls as he turns his murderous eyes towards Kanna. "How dare ya show your face in front of him again." He spat as he rudely and accusingly points a finger at her.

Kanna now looks a little terrified, and Taiga doesn't need to wonder why. She witnessed firsthand how far Shougo would go to protect his friends. "I- I just wanted to apologi-"

"Eat yer apology along with yer pathetic lies, ya two-faced bitch!"

"Hey!...Kanna, let's just get out of here. I can't stand them insulting you like this when you clearly only want to apologize for whatever it is you did."

"That's right. Kanna-san is a good person, and whatever she did, she's already asked for forgiveness."

Taiga is trembling with an emotion so strong that he thought he'd start laughing right there and then. But Shougo does it for him; his laugh is mocking and filled with so much sarcasm that it makes Kanna take a step backwards. "Hah! A good person?! Ya have no idea what she did, so stop fucking painting her as a good girl just because she acts and looks like she is one." He laughs another hollow laugh before he turns his icy gaze back towards Kanna. "Look, Ishinori. I don't fucking care what ya do with yer life anymore. Ya can go and trick other men with yer innocent look or whatever, but don't fucking come near Taiga again. Don't, just don't. Ya've already destroyed him, broke his heart, and robbed him off his dreams, and ya think an apology is enough? Even if ya grovel at his feet, it will never be enough to forgive ya for all yer lies and yer betrayal."

"Not all of it was my fault! It wasn't like-...it wasn't like I wanted it all to happen! And it wasn't like Taiga was blameless. He wasn't-...he didn't-" She pauses and bites her lip, most likely in an attempt to compose herself as tears begin to flow from her eyes.

Taiga clenches his jaw at the sight. The first time he'd seen her cry, he handed her one of those handkerchiefs that Momoi gave him, silently promising to himself to never make her cry again.

He looks away as her gaze drifts back to him.

"It's so typical of you, Ishinori-san, to lay the blame on other people again, to play the victim. So let me tell you this again... Taiga does not want to talk to you, and if you take one more step, or feed him with your pathetic lies again..." Ryouta takes a step forward towards Kanna and then grabs her chin with his hand. He can see her friends visibly flinch but they don't make a move to stop him. "I will rip your deceitful little tongue out and shove it down your throat so you can choke on it." He says with thinly-veiled loathing dripping from his voice.

Kanna looks visibly insulted and hurt by the words but she does not back down as she looks at Taiga again.

Taiga however decides to turn around when he feels Shougo's hand on his arm, gently tugging him away.

"This is a promise Ishinori, come near Taiga again, and I will destroy ya, and ya _know_ I can back that up. I don't care if ya're a woman. I will never allow you to hurt him again. Ya're lucky that Taiga didn't press any charges against ya, because I would've loved to see ya rot in jail along with that bastard." Shougo says, not looking at the woman anymore, or anyone for that matter, as he slowly starts to walk away from everyone else with Taiga silently following behind him.

"Taiga." Her voice sounded weak as she calls out again. "I'm sorry. I-I really am." She says, her voice trembling.

Taiga pauses, not looking back as he swallows his nerves down, willing himself to finally get another word out. "I...I-I'm sorry too, Kanna." The name tastes like poison on his tongue. "I... _I can't._" He breathes out.

He doesn't have to say anything else. He knows she understands because she starts whimpering, letting out soft, hushed sobs.

It twists something inside of him and breaks his heart all over again. It breaks his heart more to realize that he still cares.

"Kagami?"

A hesitant voice calls out to him as he starts walking away from everyone, allowing Shougo to half-drag his exhausted body towards wherever they should go to get away from there.

"I'm sorry Momoicchi and everyone. I... We have to leave earlier than intended it seems. We'll make it up to you guys another time, I promise~" Ryouta's voice is back to being cheery, but given his display of a whole other persona just a while ago, Taiga knows he's not fooling anyone.

"Ki-chan, is everything okay?"

"Ryouta, don't you think you have to explain some things?"

"I-I'm sorry Momoicchi, Akashicchi. It's not my place to talk about it. Please give us a bit of time. I'll get in touch again. I'm really sorry about all this commotion. You can continue the party now, but we won't be able to join you anymore." Ryouta says apologetically before he hurriedly strides over to where Shougo and Taiga is.

"Kagami?" Aomine is calling him again in an almost hushed tone, and it sounds so unlike Aomine that it makes Taiga want to turn back and run over to him.

But he steels himself, because right now he feels too conflicted, too emotionally drained, too hurt to face Aomine and bare all his pain open for the other man to see.

He doesn't want to involve Aomine in all his drama. He doesn't want to burden another person again, specially Aomine, with all his baggage.

He shakes his head, not looking back as he responds. "I-I'm sorry Aomine. I'll contact you some other time."

He doesn't say anything else as they continue walking away, from the sobbing woman, from their friends, _from Aomine_.

* * *

Taiga's nightmares have grown worse eversince he met Kanna again. He can barely sleep without being woken up by his own screams in the middle of the night, or even during the day, feeling like someone just tried to smother him in his sleep; heaving, sweating, hurting so bad that he's tried to stay awake most of the time no matter how exhausted he feels. He's stopped going to his restaurant and asked Ryouta to just drop by once in a while to check things for him. Ryouta doesn't say anything, other than telling him _'of course Kagamicchi, I'll take care of things for you'_. But other than that, both Ryouta and Shougo kept their silence after they sent him home a week ago. It was a tense ride, but there was no prying, no asking if he was okay, no unnecessary comforting words. Just understanding silence, and reassuring pats on his back. Because they know that no matter what they say, it won't be enough to ease the ache that Taiga feels, or the wound that Kanna's presence has opened once again.

Taiga sighs as he gets up from his bed. He hasn't had a decent sleep for a week now and his body and mind are both thoroughly exhausted, but he can't bring himself to get a wink of sleep at the moment eventhough it's almost midnight, because staying awake seems a much better option than having those nightmares again.

He reaches out for his phone, but then stops himself before he can grab it. He's stopped checking his messages a few days ago ever since Aomine kept calling him and leaving voicemails (he hasn't listened to even just one of those voicemails). Kuroko, Tatsuya and some of the others have sent him messages too, asking how he is or if everything is alright. If he's _okay_. He's far from okay, but he doesn't tell them that. In fact, he doesn't send them even one single response. Because in all honesty, he doesn't know what to say.

Or perhaps he doesn't want to say anything.

_Pathetic_.

He sighs again and trudges towards the kitchen, deciding to drink some hot cocoa to calm himself down.

Even just stirring feels like such a task for his weary muscles. He knows he seriously needs to sleep, otherwise, his lack of proper rest will take its toll on his body and mind. And that would only make things worse for him.

He's on his way back to his bed with a cup of hot cocoa on his hand when he hears his doorbell ring. He opts to ignore it but then it keeps ringing, and ringing, and _fucking ringing_. And then, as if that's not enough to annoy him, the loud banging on his door starts too.

Taiga makes an exasperated sound as he puts the cup down the kitchen counter and strides over towards his entrance door. He doesn't need to look at the peephole to know who the person on the other side of the door is, because he hears an irritated growl right before he reaches the door.

"Kagami, open this fucking door before I break it open myself!"

Taiga stops dead on his tracks when he hears it.

_Why is he here?_

He wants to pretend he's not home, wants to turn around and ignore the person who's violently banging on his front door.

"I know you're inside Kagami, and I know you can hear me. Let me in or you'll have more problems on your hands than just me in your front door."

Taiga inhales a deep breath to try and calm his quickening pulse.

He knows he's been deliberately ignoring all of Aomine's attempts to talk to him, but he never really thought that he'd come banging on his door in the middle of the night because of it. And if there's one thing Taiga has always known about Aomine, it's that he can be annoyingly persistent when he wants to.

He heaves another sigh before he opens the door.

"What do you want Aomine?" He asks, trying his best to keep his voice steady.

Aomine narrows his eyes at him before he shoves him aside and marches inside like he owns the place. He only stops at the genkan to take his shoes off, not even sparing him a glance and completely ignoring his irritated_ 'What the fuck? You can't just fucking barge inside like you own the place Aomine!'._

He has no other choice but to follow Aomine inside.

"Let's talk." Aomine says as soon as they reach the living room, looking like he's ready to shout any moment now. "You've been ignoring my messages and my calls."

Taiga scrunches his eyebrows in indignation. "I told you I'll contact you."

"You did, and I waited. But a whole fucking week passed by and you still haven't done that."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. He seriously doesn't need this conversation now. It's making his head throb more. "I'll contact you when I'm ready to contact you, Aomine. That's what I meant."

Aomine stares at him, his jaw clenched tight, his eyebrows drawn together as he stands in the middle of the living room with both hands hanging on his side, like he doesn't know where to put them, or what to do with them.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When will you be ready to contact me Kagami?" Aomine asks, his voice sounding distant and hollow. "In a month? A year? In eight fucking years? Or maybe never?!"

Taiga feels the harsh pounding of his heart. It's almost deafening. "What are you talking about?!"

Aomine's glare is like the heat of the sun in the afternoon on a summer day. It's harsh and unforgiving. "I'm so tired of all this shit, Kagami. I tried, I really did. You ignore me for eight years, fine! I understand, because I know the reason why. Doesn't mean I wasn't fucking disappointed of having my best friend practically forgetting about my existence! You call me out of nowhere only to shut me out again for two years, two fucking years Kagami, and I don't know, it could've been more if I hadn't accidentally bumped into you-" Aomine sighs, looking conflicted as he rubs his palm over his face. "And now this... You're shutting me out again."

Taiga feels his knees getting weaker with every word that comes out of Aomine's mouth, every sigh, every scrunch of his brows. His tone is not accusing, but Taiga still feels the guilt seeping through every part of his body.

"When I saw you again, I thought this time, maybe we can fix whatever it was that broke between us. And I wanted to ask you a lot of things, about those nightmares you keep having, but held myself back because I was worried that you'd hide yourself away again. But then it's happening anyway, and the funny thing about this, is that Kise knows. Even Haizaki knows what's up with you, but you can't even tell me. Hah!"

"Aomine, I-... It's not that I don't want to tell you." Except it is, because he doesn't want Aomine to know how utterly pathetic he was for allowing those things to happen to him, for allowing them to continue haunting him. "And Ryouta and Shougo are different. I never told them, they just know, and I trust them."

There's a flash of hurt that crosses Aomine's face when he hears him say those words. "So I guess that just makes me one of those people that you don't trust, huh?"

"N-no! That's not what I-"

"If I ask you to tell me everything that happened to you two years ago and about that woman at the sushi place, are you going to tell me?" Aomine cuts in, his eyes challenging.

"I-..." He bites his tongue and fidgets nervously. No, he isn't ready. He knows he isn't ready to tell Aomine everything yet. Recounting those days would require all the determination he can muster, because it'll drain his very heart.

A bitter laugh escapes Aomine's mouth. "Fuck this! I want to be there for you Kagami, I really do, because despite everything, I still consider you my friend, _my best friend._ But I am fucking done trying, because clearly, you don't care whether I'm in your life or not. Maybe it's best if we go our separate ways from now on." He says before he looks away and starts taking hurried steps towards the entrance.

Taiga feels the panic rising in his throat as he scrambles to follow Aomine. "Aomine wait!"

He doesn't know why, but this time, he feels like he's really going to lose Aomine.

He feels fear gripping his heart.

Aomine pauses at the genkan, still not looking back at him as he slips his shoes on. "This may be the last time we'll see each other again, so I hope everything gets better with whatever it is you're going through."

Taiga clenches his hand into a fist. "A-Aomine." He half-whispers, his lips quivering, as he tries to reach out a hand to stop the man from leaving.

But Aomine is already opening the door, and when he looks back at Taiga with a worn out look, muttering a tired, _defeated,_ _'Goodbye Kagami' _before he walks out the door_, _Taiga can only stand there, his hand hovering in the air, feeling like his heart has been ripped open and is left bleeding.

It hurts much more than his nightmares, much more than the betrayal of the woman he once loved two years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It hurts. Uwu

**Author's Note:**

> Will check for mistakes later and will try to edit what I can. Thank you. Again, comments and kudos are appreciated. Will try to update as soon as I can.


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